Pilgrims

ItwasAutumnwhenPaulMcDermottstoodonthedoorstepofahousethatwouldexertapullonhimyearsafterheclosedthedoorforthefinaltime.Hewasnervous,andtotallyunpreparedtomeetthewomanhehadagreedtovisit.Vallivedinthishouse,inasmallmilitarytown;shewas74andhadbeendiagnosedwithcancer.Thoughbewilderedandfrightenedunderneath,sheappearedsimplyasasmall,wrinkled,elderlywomanwithamischievousawarenessandapenetratingstare.SobeganPaul'sseriesofregularvisitstoValoveranumberofyears.Ashesatandlistenedtohertalkinherfrontlounge,orstruggledineptlywiththetasksshesethim,Valopenedupherworld:thesecretsandmemoriesandlessonsofherlifethatweresoontobeextinguishedandperhapsforgotten.Gradually,asshecametotermswithherpast-andalsowithherfuture-shetookonaneffortlessclarityandpeacethatbroughtherintoasupremelyhumanfocus.And,atthesametime,Paul'sownperceptionswerechallengedinawayhewouldneverhavebelievedwhenhefirstarrivedatherdoor.Somehowtheycreatedsomethingprofoundandverypreciousbetweenthem.Fullofasurprisingwarmth,mixedwithcourageandhumour,thisremarkablestoryisdeeplylife-affirming,notonlyforthetwocentralcharactersontheirparalleljourney-butalsoforusall.