When we were in Ireland we had a terrific tour guide. He was an Irish man through and through. He talked non-stop often telling long rambling stories about his family and his upbringing, this to give us a glimpse into Irish life. Several times, on our night’s outing he drank too much and his rambling chatter got even more imaginative! But he had a sensitive and tender side too and could be as quickly moved to tears as to giggles.
He gave me a book, a very lovely book, as a gift. Anam cara is by best-selling Irish poet and author John O’Donohue. I have been reading through the book and was delighted by his chapter on “The Mystery of Friendship”. He writes, “In the Celtic tradition there is a beautiful understanding of love and friendship. One of the fascinating ideas here is the idea of soul love; the old Gaelic term for this is anam cara. Anam is the Gaelic word for soul and cara is the word for friend. So anam cara in the Celtic world is Soul Friend… In the early Celtic Church, a person who acted as a teacher, companion or spiritual guide was called an anam cara. Anam cara was originally someone to whom you confessed, revealing the hidden intimacies of your life, you shared your innermost self, your mind and your heart.”
I have been blessed over the years with many rich and wonderful friendships. And I have had, and do have, some anam cara’s amongst them. Soul friends with whom I could share anything. For these I am grateful.
As we approach Holy Week, and hear once again the stories of Jesus and his life of deep friendships, I am struck by the depth of the relationship he enjoyed with those around him. It seems he attracted people and treasured those friendships.
Over this weekend I invite you to reflect on your friendships.
Do you have an anam cara? Has your understanding or appreciation of friendship changed over the years? Do you experience a connection between friendship and your soul?
