Mary Gillilan

Tibet: a Writer's Journal Mary Gillilan

Since the age of sixteen, Emmy Lasater has wanted to make a pilgrimage to the western frontier of Tibet to see Mount Kailash. Buddhists, Hindus, and the Bon people before them have traveled the route around this sacred mountain where it is said that one sojourn around Mount Kailash cleans the slate of a lifetime of sins. The mystical aspect of a pilgrimage has always intrigued Emmy. But now, in her middle years, with the chance finally before her, she has serious doubts. She is past the age of fifty, one leg doesn't work quite right, she has trouble with one arm, and is afraid of heights. The question remains: why attempt such a feat? As Emmy embarks on her journey, the answer eventually becomes clear. She is divorced, her children are grown, and sometimes, her shadow frightens her-but she is stronger than she thinks. As a writing group instructor, Emmy listens to writers tell their stories, but it is only on this trip that her own story emerges in bits and pieces. The longer she is in Tibet, the more she realizes how much she loves the country. This simple realization propels her to connect her feet to her soul, and when that connection is firmed, Emmy flies through the scarier places, finally discovering the pathway to her soul.