Pilgrims

by Paul McDermott

It was Autumn when Paul McDermott stood on the doorstep of a house that would exert a pull on him years after he closed the door for the final time. He was nervous, and totally unprepared to meet the woman he had agreed to visit. Val lived in this house, in a small military town; she was 74 and had been diagnosed with cancer. Though bewildered and frightened underneath, she appeared simply as a small, wrinkled, elderly woman with a mischievous awareness and a penetrating stare.So began Paul's series of regular visits to Val over a number of years. As he sat and listened to her talk in her front lounge, or struggled ineptly with the tasks she set him, Val opened up her the secrets and memories and lessons of her life that were soon to be extinguished and perhaps forgotten. Gradually, as she came to terms with her past - and also with her future - she took on an effortless clarity and peace that brought her into a supremely human focus. And, at the same time, Paul's own perceptions were challenged in a way he would never have believed when he first arrived at her door. Somehow they created something profound and very precious between them.Full of a surprising warmth, mixed with courage and humour, this remarkable story is deeply life-affirming, not only for the two central characters on their parallel journey - but also for us all.

240 pages, Paperback

First published May 5, 2005

About the author

Paul McDermott is a psychotherapist and writer living in London and Zurich.
For nearly 20 years, he trained psychotherapists and counsellors in London, and his ongoing work of more than 35 years is focused on helping people free themselves from controlling systems so they can win back their original nature and go on to live fulfilling and meaningful lives.
His first book, 'Pilgrims', explores what it means to live fully in the face of death — and began, fittingly, as a dream in which he was told to write. His writing blends memoir, reflection, psychological insight, and a provocative insistence on what really matters. In terms of this, he lives a simple reflective life based on the understanding that, as the Japanese say, “The Way is your everyday life.”

Reviews

[Lisa Swanepoel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a sweet story and easy to read despite the difficult subject.