Wednesday August 12th

By: Melissa Halverson

Day four is complete! This journey of body and spirit has been challenging to the end of extremes. My body has magically restored itself overnight, and my heart is swollen with happiness and challenge. Physically, the energy it takes to wake up and take that first step forwards when every part of this body is telling me otherwise comes from secret place in the core of my being that previously was unknown to me.


The Right to Marry route wound itself through Guadalupe this morning. As we left the Tempe City sign behind us, the sidewalk literally ended and we stepped out onto the rock and gravel shoulder of the road. At over 100 degrees outside and already several hours in to our walk a new town was holding promises for a refreshing few hours. Guadalupe was marked by compassionate kind neighborhoods. Conversations with groups on porches, or with those sitting on benches with their coolers will stay with me. Cars stopped on their way to work to ask “What ARE you all”,with our rainbow umbrellas and gave an encouraging “Good work and Good Luck”.

Community needs intersected at every turn today. The workers setting pavement in Tempe, waived as we passed each other with mutual smiles in the heat. The man with no home who sat outside the door to the bathroom we used at mile seven, smiled as he let us in. Redemptive suffering is more than me bearing weak body on 16 mile days this week, while speaking out for couples I hope will very soon have the ability to marry. It’s the acknowledgement of equalness in spirit when face to face with the very livelihood of humanity. What could be shared if everyday could be spent walking and talking?


We ended our day at Cesar Chavez Park. A roundtable forum followed with leaders in the Latino community enabling us to find common ground in new areas. Restoration has followed us all day. It is you out there, that I have to thank. You, for cooking for us in your home, or driving us items when we ran out, or taking the time to premark the route in chalk with words of hope. Hope was everywhere today. In a walk traversing multiple cities, heat, 16 stops, and three actions the piece I’m intending to leave behind is love. This is simple, it’s about love and family, from the beginning of time, to this very day. Everyone included.