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Amy Brown's avatar

Wow what a critical message for our times, for all of us, Julia. You have been an inhukshuk for me on so many occasions with your fierce, beautiful, powerful essays. We are not too old to be the shelter for others. I saw this time and time again on the Camino, how strangers who were fellow pilgrims were there for each other, helping to walk them home, when someone was hurt, tired, hungry, lost, despairing of their ability to make it. Or give companionship for part of the way to a solitary walker, a bit lonely. Thanks for shining your light. I am so glad you got to see the aurora borealis in all its splendor.

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JULIA HUBBEL's avatar

Beautifully said, Amy. Thank you so kindly. I love your stories about the walk- I wish I could do that, not yet and perhaps not ever after the foot surgery. We all find our adventures and along the way, who we are with others when they are in need. Thank you so much for the very kind words.

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Amy Brown's avatar

You have certainly found your share of adventures in your life and I know you'll never stop, which is inspiration for me. Thank you for reading the Camino series. My daughter's two-part essay about the walk is publishing tomorrow....there's another writer in the family!

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Nicole Rodeia's avatar

Julia, I just read this article of yours and loved it. Your articles are so profound and informative. Though I am behind in reading them, I have them saved in my email so as not to miss any. Thank you. I look forward to reading them all.

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JULIA HUBBEL's avatar

THanks so much Nicole!

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The World We Dream Of's avatar

Such a lovely and inspiring article. I have never heard of inhukshuk before, but it is indelible now. Thank you.

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JULIA HUBBEL's avatar

I wasn't familiar with them, either until I ventured far enough North. I have one now right under my computer screen to remind me.

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Diane’s Blue Forum 👩‍💻's avatar

Great message!

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Sue Kusch's avatar

The song Woodstock entered my mind while reading this powerful message.

"We are stardust

Billion year old carbon

We are golden

Caught in the devil's bargain

And we've got to get ourselves

back to the garden"

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JULIA HUBBEL's avatar

Amen to all of that.

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Scott Whitehead's avatar

Profound. Bookmarking to reread, possibly save off, and point others to.

Thank you for this!

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JULIA HUBBEL's avatar

I purchased a small inukchuk to put in front of my computer as a reminder. Thank you so much.

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Miguel Clark Mallet's avatar

In the most fundamental and profound sense, "we are what we eat."

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JULIA HUBBEL's avatar

In every sense of the word. I think every major religion recognizes words as food, and their power.

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Miguel Clark Mallet's avatar

Absolutely. it's interesting, too, to think about how our words travel on our breath, how they're tied our bodies. We literally speak from our deepest selves, and we can forget this--and the impact our words have--so easily.

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JULIA HUBBEL's avatar

Even more profound, the visual I used to teach was that the words we use to uplift travel up through our bodies like light, healing ourselves and the other person. With toxic words, it’s like barbed wire. The ugliness we hurl- and I am guilty of it of course- cuts us even worse than those we mean to injure.

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