A 65-year-old man named Harold embarked on a long hiking journey alone after receiving a farewell letter from his terminally ill old friend, Queenie. He firmly believed that as long as he was on the road, Queenie would survive. After 87 days and 627 miles, he successfully reached his destination and completed his self-redemption. This story is from the novel "The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry" by British author Rachel Joyce. Since its publication in 2012, the novel has become a bestseller in 40 countries, with global sales of 4 million copies, and was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.
Movie: The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
01 Acceptance, Coping with Discontent
Many times, things do not go as we wish. Some choose to face it bravely, while others choose to evade and retreat. Different choices lead to different outcomes. Harold's childhood was bleak; his father was an alcoholic, and his mother was utterly disappointed. The lack of love formed the backdrop of his childhood. At a young age, he learned to find his place in life, burying himself in the dust like an ostrich. When he was 13, his mother left with her luggage, and Harold's hand could only gently slide over her silk scarf as he tried to hold her back. After his mother left, his father brought various aunts home for fun. The house felt as cold as an ice cave, and he seemed like a wild grass that could be discarded at any moment. At 16, his father cruelly kicked him out, forcing him to fend for himself. One day, he met Maureen at a dance hall, and it was love at first sight. However, their days of love were short-lived. The birth of their son, David, shattered their sweet world. Maureen poured all her love into David, afraid he would melt in her mouth or fall from her hands. Meanwhile, Harold felt anxious and uneasy; even when he wanted to hold David, he didn't know how to do it. When David nearly drowned, he could only stand by, fiddling with his shoelaces, waiting for someone else to rescue him. Lacking the nourishment of love in his childhood, Harold didn't know how to be a father or express love. David graduated from Cambridge but suffered from depression. He became addicted to alcohol and drugs, and Harold silently took away the bottles piled up in his room without offering any comfort. Later, David committed suicide, leaving Maureen heartbroken. She blamed her husband's incompetence, believing everything was his fault. After this upheaval, although they lived under the same roof, they were like strangers. From then on, an insurmountable chasm lay between them. The shadow of Harold's childhood wrapped him tightly like a large spider web. Growing up in a desert of love, he would not sow the seeds of love, and the family was gradually heading towards desolation. The sense of powerlessness in life resembles the trivialities of our reality. Work troubles can make us anxious, silently stifled in a corner, shedding tears; life's blows can cause us immense pain, leaving us alone in the dark with no one to confide in; marital unhappiness can leave us at a loss, wallowing in self-pity within the confines of marriage. The harsh reality, with its ups and downs, makes no one's life perfect. Montgomery once said, "The world is inherently imperfect; we cannot expect everything to be perfect." We always hope for our dreams to come true, but often things go against our wishes. Life is neither as good as we imagine nor as bad as we think. In the face of an unsatisfactory life, we must learn to accept it calmly.
02 Change, the Beginning of Awakening
There is a line in "Zootopia": "Life will always have its ups and downs. We all make mistakes. It doesn't matter what your nature is; what matters is that you start to change." Change is a necessary path to maturity and awakening. One Tuesday, Harold received a letter from St. Bernard's Hospice. The letter was from his colleague Queenie, who wrote to tell Harold that she had cancer and didn't have much time left, specifically saying goodbye to him. Memories of the past flooded back, unlocking Harold's long-buried memories. At that time, Harold was a sales representative at a brewery, and Queenie was a finance officer there. Queenie was meticulous in her work but was ridiculed by colleagues for her plain appearance. Once, after being humiliated by her colleagues, Queenie hid behind a cabinet and cried. Harold happened to find her and offered her great comfort, making her feel warm. Originally just acquaintances, they became close friends. However, this friendship did not last long. David's suicide was like a bolt from the blue. Harold was heartbroken and drowned his sorrows in alcohol. One day, after drinking, Harold accidentally broke a clown doll that belonged to his boss's mother. The boss was furious, and at that moment, Queenie stepped in to take the blame for Harold, losing her job in the process. Queenie hurriedly left the brewery, burying all her grievances deep in her heart. For so many years, Harold had never said a word to her, not even a "thank you." He passed by one mailbox after another, hesitating to send his reply. On the road, he met a girl at a gas station. The girl told him that faith could change some things. Harold suddenly woke up; he decided to walk to Berwickshire to visit Queenie, believing that as long as he was on the road, Queenie would survive. All along, Harold had tightly closed off his heart, living like a wooden man, allowing guilt and regret to tear at his soul. The girl's words seemed to be an axe that broke the ice in his heart. At that moment, he finally listened to the call of his heart and bravely made a change; this was the first time he took control of his life. In real life, many people face life's hardships and have experienced confusion and retreat. The writer Shi Tiesheng faced the misfortune of paralysis in his youth. He once didn't know what he could do, deeply trapped in self-doubt, letting fate dictate his life. However, after countless days and nights spent with the Earth Altar, he finally understood the meaning of life and completed his masterpiece "I and the Earth Altar." In fact, everyone's life is like this; life is always full of infinite possibilities and variables. As Andy Warhol said, "People always say that time can change many things, but in fact, those changes must come from you." True awakening begins the moment you make a change. It is never too late to awaken in life; as long as you are willing to change, you can be reborn and grow strong.
03 Letting Go, Reconciling with Oneself
Unprepared, Harold set off on a journey that could be described as spontaneous. However, heavy rain, muddy roads, and leg pain made it seem like an impossible task. The destination, 627 miles away, was a physical challenge for 65-year-old Harold and a test of his mental will. On the journey, time seemed to rewind, and memories vividly replayed in his mind. He couldn't forget the wounds of his childhood, firmly believing he was an unfortunate person, allowing time to wear him down, consuming the enthusiasm of family and friends without guilt. He had always lived in his own world, and this trip made him see that everyone has their own struggles and sorrows; everyone has their own burdens to bear. He saw a woman who had lost her child, who, despite her deep sorrow, was living life with intention; he met a female doctor, Martina, who had been abandoned by her boyfriend, who, despite her grievances, compassionately helped others. This journey allowed him to see the suffering of others, and in the face of these hardships, his own pain seemed trivial. Thus, he began to learn to let go. Whenever he reached a place, he would call his wife to report his safety, sending postcards and buying small gifts every few days. He seemed to have changed into a different person, no longer indifferent, and began to think of others, learning to understand and empathize. Maureen also changed during this journey. She had tried to stop Harold from taking this risky trip and had even wanted the hospital to bring him back under the guise of treatment. She gradually discovered Harold's past warmth and often reminisced about their sweet moments in youth. Blaming Harold for all the wrongs after David's departure was clearly unfair. When Harold was nearly at the breaking point, just 16 miles from the destination, Maureen encouraged him on the phone not to give up. In the end, Harold and Maureen arrived at the hospice in Berwickshire, where they accompanied Queenie through the final moments of her life together. Harold reflected on his misunderstandings of Maureen over the years, the love he had missed, and the regrets of the past. They found trust and understanding in each other during this journey, letting go of the past and reconciling with themselves. In life, if we carry too much, we will eventually be crushed. Being entangled in the past only draws a line in the sand, preventing us from moving forward; dwelling on yesterday only leaves us helpless, waiting for doom. Some things must be turned over; rather than being trapped in the past, it is better to shed the "shackles" and move forward lightly. Hermann Hesse said, "Some people believe that persistence makes us stronger, but sometimes, letting go is what truly matters."
Letting go of the past and reconciling with oneself is the beginning of a person's strength.
Learn to accept, try to change, bravely let go, and keep moving forward. Only then can one, like Harold in the latter half of his life, take control of life and attain freedom.