The Paper Bag Gift

This article is brought to you by a quiet Sunday morning—fresh air, soft snowflakes drifting down, chickadees calling from the woods, and a gentle breeze moving through the trees along the trail. And, of course, by our beautiful golden retriever, Billie Rose. Every morning, Jim and I pull on our dog-walking clothes, add our bright orange hats and vests for this time of year, and head out the door. It’s how we choose to begin each day. Our intention is simple: to move our bodies, breathe fresh air, and care for our dog. But as the years go by, I’ve realized that these small rituals nourish far more than our muscles and lungs. They support our minds, our spirits, and that quiet inner light that needs tending just as much as anything else in our lives. We all need habits that remind us we belong—to nature, to one another, and to the great, unfolding story of life. What nourishes each of us may look different, but the need itself is universal. When we do things that connect us to our essence—our magical, spirited selves—something inside brightens. I’ve noticed that when my “to-do” list grows too long, I stop feeling that magic. If I spend too many hours on my phone or computer, I start to feel weighed down, tired, even a little worn out. It’s easy, especially as responsibilities grow and the world becomes noisier, to drift away from the simple act of being present. But when I pause—when I give myself even a moment of quiet—I reconnect with the energy that inspires me to be who I want to be: a caregiver, a teacher, a mother, a wife, a friend. A small force for goodness in whatever ways I can be. Creating a life that nourishes us takes intention, but the reward is a steadier, kinder way of moving through the world. Last weekend, I attended the Haliburton International Film Festival at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion—now in its seventeenth year. The theme was Elbows Up, Chins Up, Rise Up, and the films came from Germany, France, Italy, a small village in Macedonia, and the United Kingdom. Each story showed people stepping up for one another, often in difficult and uncertain circumstances. It was a comforting reminder that even in a world facing so many challenges, there are countless individuals choosing compassion over fear, generosity over greed. This week, I also had the pleasure of speaking at the Eagle Lake Women’s Association. For nearly ninety years, this remarkable group has supported their community with steadfast kindness. They focus on the hopeful. The good. Their belief in the power of generosity has never wavered. And perhaps that is where everything begins—with intention. With a desire to stay connected to the quiet magic around us and within us. When we choose to notice the small beauties of a morning walk, or the kindness in a community, we rise up in our own gentle way. And from that place, goodness has room to grow.

My friend Coosje, Jim and I just spent a couple of weeks in Europe. Our first week was spent in Austria where we were hosted by Austrian relatives in a small village in the mountains. We did lots of hiking and ate really good food, drank fine wines and delicious beers and ate lots of homemade strudel. One day, after a hike, we arrived back in our village to find that a music festival was going on. Every village in each valley has a community band and on this day they had gathered for a music festival. Every band had at least 40 people, some had kids, all had teenagers and young adults and seniors. Every band was dressed in traditional Austrian clothing. The men wore lederhosen and the women wore traditional dresses. I felt like I was at the music festival that we all watched at the end of The Sound of Music. There was so much energy and delight as the bands roamed the village in between performances. We went into the auditorium and watched a couple of the bands perform. It was so fun. We really enjoyed it. I was grateful to experience the local music culture. Later on in the evening one of the bands was in a pub across the road from us, and came out onto the street and sang a traditional Austrian song to us as we stood on our balcony waving at them. These beautiful encounters are what I love about travelling. After Austria we travelled to The Netherlands for a week and had many more adventures. We met kind people everywhere. We returned home and the next day, in my jet-lagged state, I was back at rehearsal with the Voices Rising choir (formerly the Highlands Harmony Choir). Laurel McCauley directs the choir and we have a lovely group of women who have been gathering weekly since September. I sing in the mezzos and I stand beside Debbie who has a beautiful voice and I follow her lead. I know some of the songs better than her, so she relies on me for the words sometimes. We are a great little support for each other. I love our weekly connection. Debbie and I stand close to the back of the mezzo section and I can see and hear the beautiful sopranos to our left. When they add their voices to the songs I always feel like there are angels singing. The altos, to the right of us, add a deep rich sound to our songs. Our choir doesn’t read music. We learn by listening and singing together again and again and again. There is a lot of joy in our group. Voices Rising is having their annual year-end concert on Friday, May 24 at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion. They will be joined by a live band for a couple of songs. Tickets are $20 and are available at Cranberry Cottage, Canoe FM and Let’s Get Local in Minden. You can also get tickets online at kim.quigley@outlook.com . Doors open at 7 and the show starts at 7:30. All proceeds made from the concert will be donated to the Haliburton Music Exchange. I hope you will come and enjoy our performance. Music connects us and uplifts us.