Friends,
Thank you for holding me and my family in your hearts since we lost Tommy this spring. Your kind words, acts of service and donations to Tommy’s foundation have been a balm as we navigate this new path.
I wanted to share with you that as part of my own healing journey, I will be traveling to Spain in the coming weeks to walk the Camino de Santiago.
The Camino de Santiago, also known as the Way of St. James, is a centuries-old pilgrimage route that crosses northern Spain and leads to the sacred city of Santiago de Compostela, where the apostle James is believed to be buried. The Camino has been walked by thousands of people from around the world, each with their own reasons for embarking on this pilgrimage.
I have wanted to travel the Camino for 15 years, and it took me that long to convince Tommy to go (he always said, “I don’t want to stay in these hostels, they’re full of bedbugs!”). We had planned to travel there together this fall. After Tommy’s death, I decided I still need to go. I cannot sit at home and wait for the grief to pass. I want to move through this pain.
Many of you have commented on my strength through the last few months. I appreciate that but there is a hole in my very core. My experience in grief is to move within it, toward something that helps me learn and grow. I can walk the Camino despite the hole in my heart, or perhaps because of it.
For me, the Camino represents a profound opportunity to reflect, meditate and connect with my own spirit and path forward. Walking the Camino will allow me to immerse myself in nature’s beauty, find stillness in my heart, and continue to work through my grief. With each step I take, I hope to carry a piece of my pain and learn what it has to teach me, so I can share that with others to make our world a better place.
I am writing to humbly ask for your support during this journey. Your prayers, thoughts and positive energy mean the world to me. Additionally, if you are able, I invite you to consider donating to the Tommy Elliott Fund for Community Leadership, a foundation dedicated to supporting the people driving positive changes in our community.
This letter marks the public launch of the campaign. If you are up for contributing to the fund, get creative with it. Tommy would like that. I will be walking 75 miles – maybe $1, $10, 20 per mile -whatever you can help with to keep Tommy’s legacy for community building alive. So far, we have received donations from $10 to $10,000. I am deeply thankful for each show of support.
I plan to share a few photos and brief updates during my time on the Camino on social media. I will certainly feel you and your support with me as I walk the path. When I return, I’ll share more photos and insights I gathered during this transformative journey. I hope that my experience will not only inspire hope for others facing challenges but guide me in what I am called to do next.
Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your love and friendship. I am grateful beyond words for your presence in my journey and your support for me and Tommy.
With love,
Maryanne Elliott