I spoke to my grandfather today and gave him an update of my journey. I kept thinking of how he showed up at the Trail of DREAMs press conference on January 1st; how he cried when Jenny from the Fast for our Families () told her story; how he drove up from Miami for more than an hour to show up at an intersection along the trail to give me some extra thermal underwear. Its been an continuous reminder of the incredible things that people are willing to do out of love. This journey in itself has been a chain of countless of moments as such.
Today was SO BEAUTIFUL. It was the perfect weather for walking and I felt so inspired every step of the way. I kept thinking to myself how beautiful this country truly is to its full splendor when you can finally take a moment to look around at the ground level; breating everything in and understanding that we are all interconnected as fluctuating energy throughout nature. I do… I love this country. I love being here. I love the priviledge and honor of appreciating its minute intricacies. Today we walked 22 miles, and every single step was an affirmation of our passion and commitment for justice and progress.
“Caminante, son tus huellas
el camino y nada más” -MachadoMy grandfather alluded to this poem by Antonio Machado when I spoke to him today and I feel like it kept me centered, focused, determined. There is a long road ahead and there is much more that we are bound to encounter along the path… but its going to be such an incredible ride. I have never found so much meaning from walking, from sharing with strangers, from trusting my team, family, and friends as we push forward in the struggle for dignity and justice.
We must never forget our story that has brought us thus far, nor the stories of those that we carry with us from our lifelong interactions. We must not forget the people of Haiti, who need our support and compassion in this time of plight. We must not forget the fasters in Homestead who are risking EVERYTHING so that we may find peace and security amongst the love and warmth of family. I will walk on… “and as we walk, we shall make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.” -Rev. M. L. King jr.
-Juan Rodriguez (link to trail of dreams blog post)
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