There I was, shoulder to shoulder with two new friends. We were the unofficial greeters for dozens of women, of all ages, who had made the distant journey to Algonquin Park, Ontario, then hiked a trail through the woods to arrive at Camp Tanamakoon’s 100th Year Alumni Weekend. The energy was high, and each woman was received as a 'long lost', but cherished friend.
I had no idea of the depth of meaning that this journey held for me until I was standing at the shore of Cache Lake landing, a couple of hours prior to the greetings described above, and my tears began to flow. By the time the boat I was on was motoring up the narrow lake passages, I couldn’t seem to stop the emotional release that had begun. I was returning to the sacred territory of my youth. I was a pilgrim, on a journey of my soul.
I realize now that the types of pilgrimages that are available to us are as wide and varied as there are people. To quote from The Archetype of Pilgrimage (1), a pilgrimage may be “a ritual, a commemoration, a search for something, perhaps something the pilgrim cannot express in words, perhaps something the pilgrim does not fully perceive.” This was me, upon my return to camp. When the announcement of the reunion landed in my inbox, months prior, I was in no doubt that I was going to attend. Something deep within me heard "a call". My immediate yes was a spontaneous response to a deeply held value, that I did not fully comprehend until I was boating up those waters of Cache Lake .
Summer camp was my home for nine consecutive Augusts of my youth. I begged my parents each year to return. Yet, it was only this June when I actually began to truly grasp how much that chapter of my life had shaped me. With this awakening upon me, I felt particularly inspired to learn that when, in 1925, Mary G. Hamilton (principal of the Margaret Eaton School’s physical education program for young women in Toronto), wanted a place where her students could learn the value of outdoor life and leadership training, Camp Tanamakoon was created. The camp continues to maintain Hamilton's focus to this day. My love for Nature, my wilderness survival skills, and my appreciation for efforts geared to the conservation of wild spaces (including ideas for low impact recreation), began here.
At Camp I also learned the value of relationships: of unconditional acceptance, and of having the freedom to self-express. At Camp, I felt loved and accepted just the way I am. It is where I learned to love and accept others, no matter what our differences may appear to be. I understand now that this early personal development training that Camp provided me with was forming the foundation for the work I do today. I want every person to know the value of their own unique life's expression. (The world needs YOU, just the way you are).
Returning to writings about the nature of pilgrimages, this information is also instructive: (2) “Pilgrims are persons in motion - passing through territories not their own - seeking something we might call completion (or perhaps the word clarity will do as well), a goal to which only the spirit’s compass points the way… ”
Soon, my friend and colleague, Collette, and I will be walking the famed Camino de Santiago, en route to Santiago de Compostela, in Spain. We’ve been "called". For months, we have been collecting the equipment we need, booking our travel and juggling the details. More than ever, as the time draws near, I am excited to take you with us.
Reflecting upon my return to Camp Tanamakoon, while also looking forward to the Camino de Santiago, I'm struck by the parallel paths of self-discovery and renewal that both journeys hold. Both are "pilgrimages'. Both offer opportunities to awaken my spirit and reveal hidden truths about myself.
I believe that the path that led me back to the shores of Cache Lake has helped to prepare me for the winding trails to come as well. Just as Camp nurtured my love for Nature and taught me the value of authentic connection, I anticipate 'The Camino" will offer lessons in the realms of simplicity, perseverance, and shared human endeavour. As Collette and I adventure together, we are ready to embrace the unknown, to form meaningful bonds, and to discover new parts of ourselves.
The journey continues. We invite you to walk alongside us as we seek that elusive sense of "completion" or "clarity" that calls to pilgrims of all kinds. We plan to be posting a daily travelogue on the Centre’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/TheCentreCR , starting August 26th, the day we fly out from Vancouver. We would love for you to join us, vicariously. Check in daily to experience the human drama of our Camino pilgrimage with us!
Jean Dalby Clift and Wallace B. Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage: Outer Action With Inner Meaning (Eugene, Oregon, Wipf & Stock, 1996), 9.
Clift and Clift, The Archetype of Pilgrimage, by Richard R. Niebuhr, 1.