Connecting with friends we haven’t seen in a while and meeting new ones. The Edge of the World Music Festival is an amazing experience that my kids got to experience from start to finish this year. Volunteering and being part of the team were such a lovely vibe.
My birthday wish was to have the full camping experience with my teenagers. They had such a blast in all the ways you could hope a kid would. Swimming in the river. Walking with flashlights to the beach to watch the light of a full moon over the water. Discovering live music they might not have considered before.
Lots of festival magic. Parents got to connect and share after what seemed like far too long. Fitting in adult time can be hard with toddlers. Adults with teens got to sit together and watch their kids move around in pods. And for some, love was in the air.
Also, what I loved was watching people hold one another. The sun was out, things to do, people to see, but it can be work to push ourselves out of our bubble of routine, sadness or comfort. But when we do, we are all in it together.
“Lean on Me, When You’re Not Strong…” was a fireside singalong that you could feel at the end of an eventful weekend. We do not need to struggle alone. Feeling our feelings and holding one another, the weekend had a lot of big emotions.
Mudbog is a Port Clements event that is one of my favourite Haida Gwaii things. I was sad to miss it this year. There was a mud pit that formed in the parking lot that I got to watch vehicles get stuck in, and eventually unstuck. It just wasn’t quite the same.
Any event that gathers people together has always fascinated me. Concerts, public protests, sports events, conferences, anything that has a focus with a crowd collected. Also, anything where you can participate as a team, like sports or choir.
We all seem to be at a crossroads in the Age of Aquarius, and we seem to find it useful to be reminded to be gentle with ourselves as we move through change. My personal challenge is to jump into anything social when I’m processing, but it always ends up being worth it.
Politics, community boards, choir. Getting involved in community events and programs is why we choose to live anywhere. Pushing ourselves to do new things is how we grow through the changes in our lives.
This past weekend was the perfect way to celebrate another lap around the sun. All the haw’aas and thank yous to organizers, volunteers, performers and everyone I connected with. Being a family-friendly event, it was a memorable time for my kids now as well. When they get older and look back, they will always remember this as a summer highlight.
Weekend themes: Wishes can come true, especially when we break out of patterns.
Be gentle with yourself. Push yourself when you need to.
All together now.
