At 70, She Walked the Camino: Kathleen Donnelly Israel on Grief, Courage and Starting Again
Kathleen Donnelly Israel spent 17 years caring for her husband through Parkinson’s disease. When he died in 2018, she was facing not only grief but a life she had never really experienced before: life entirely on her own.
Then she walked the Camino de Santiago.
Kathleen had gone from her mother’s home to marriage at 20, raised five children and spent much of her life caring for other people. Walking the Camino alone became something different — an adventure, certainly, but also an opportunity to discover who she was when she wasn’t someone’s wife, mother or caregiver. She describes it as “a big honouring myself situation.”
In this conversation, Kathleen shares the practical realities and unexpected delights of walking the Camino, the people she met along the way, the friendships that formed, and the role her faith played in the journey.
But underneath the wonderful Camino stories is a conversation about grief, independence and allowing ourselves to take up some space in our own lives.
Kathleen is clear that the Camino didn’t magically erase her grief. It became one part of moving through it.
And perhaps her best reminder for women in this stage of life is beautifully simple: we’re not getting any younger. This is the youngest we’ll ever be.
Maybe we don’t all need to walk across Spain.
But perhaps there is something we’ve been postponing long enough.
Her book “Wisdom on the Camino – A spiritual Journey Sharing Forgiveness and Possibilities to Inspire the Rest of Your Life” can be found at https://www.wisdomonthecamino.com
The Two Boomer Women Podcast - in conversation with Kathleen Donnelly Israel
Subscribe where you listen:
About the guest: Kathleen Donnelly Israel
Kathleen Donnelly Israel was born in 1949 in San Diego, California where she has lived her whole life. Ron and Kathleen Israel raised their five children in Lakeside, San Diego County. They were a Team Couple for Worldwide Marriage Encounter in the 70s and 80s.
She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Art from San Diego State University. She studied Expressive Arts Therapy at the European Graduate School in Switzerland. She is a certified Transformational Breathing Facilitator, Theta Healer, and has enjoyed a lifetime of walking, hiking, and running.
Kathleen cared for her husband for the 17 years that he had Parkinson’s disease until he died in 2018. During this time, she studied spiritual healing from many enlightened thought leaders and teachers. She developed some Spiritual philosophies and shared them with those she met on the Camino Frances from St. Jean Pied de Port, France to Santiago, Spain. Kathleen had great adventures and shared this all in a book, Wisdom on the Camino. At 72 years old, last year she walked the Camino Portugese from Lisbon to Santiago and on to Fisterra.
Loved the interview Very inspirational
Cathie
Thank you for the podcast you are sharing. Very inspirational and loved Kathleens sharing of her adventure on The Camino . Kathleen is in my parish and read her book and she told me to check out this website Hope to hear more stories
Cathie