Hi beautiful.
My weekends are usually full — Farmers’ Market adventures with my mom’s bread and preserves, with a little community drumming woven in on the side.
But last weekend was different.
An event I was scheduled to facilitate was postponed, and tadah… I had four days already booked off with nothing in my calendar.
My usual habit would have been to fill that time with my list of things. We all have one — the home things, the family things, the personal priorities that often get rescheduled or not scheduled at all.
But this weekend, I chose differently.
I was unbooked and fancy-free. I knew I wanted to spend time with a dear friend, and I was open to adventure. Where we went did not matter nearly as much as the fact that we went somewhere together.
Well, my friends… let me tell you something. The power of the “UN” scheduled and “UN”planned was beautiful. There was flow and space and just this moment of NOW.
So, in this summer still stretching out before us, are you leaving room for you? Are you giving yourself time for the adventures you truly desire? Or are you filling your days with swimming lessons, barbecues, must-do invitations, and all the places you feel you should pop by?
And in the middle of all that scheduling, are you actually asking yourself — and your lovely body — what it would like this summer?
So back to the adventure. I bet you are wondering… what did we choose?
Our adventure took us north in Saskatchewan to Batoche, Duck Lake, and Fort Carlton. We also enjoyed an incredible stay with Pemiska Tourism, surrounded by teepees, fat bikes, and those big blue Saskatchewan skies. And yes — air conditioning in the Saskatchewan heat was a gift.
What stayed with me most, though, was not only where we went, but what opened up in me while we were there.
I remember visiting Batoche and Fort Carlton as a small child with my family. Being there now felt different. There is so much history in our province, and having the chance to return, to have healing conversations, and to meet Indigenous leaders was deeply meaningful.
Healing includes not just the heart, mind, and body, but also the land and the history.
I could feel the story in the land in a new way. I found myself asking Creator, Source, God-consciousness to help all beings — and the land itself — heal from whatever harm has been, so that we can be fully present and more fully ourselves with one another.
We are all here to shine.
I also learned that this August marks the 150th anniversary of the signing of the treaty.
I imagined the fur traders, settlers, and Indigenous women tanning hides. History is rarely one thing only. It holds pain and resilience, sorrow and beauty. And perhaps part of healing is being willing to acknowledge what was good and what was harmful without becoming trapped in the stories of the past.
We all have a past. Some of our pasts involve collective trauma and oppression. Others hold more private forms of hardship and stuckness.
Wherever you are, whatever land you are standing on, whatever family you come from, whatever community you live in — here you are.
The past does not have to hold you captive.
The future does not have to overwhelm you.
The present moment is right here.
So what will you do with this magnificent day?
Perhaps if we lived with more joy, possibility, wonder, and adventure in our hearts — and asked for more of that each day — even our pasts could be softened by gratitude instead of weighed down only by sorrow.
Returning to Batoche was also a gift. Seeing Métis Nation–Saskatchewan celebrate their people, culture, and stories was such a joy. I even ate delicious bison, pit-roasted in the earth for 24 hours and rubbed with spices. It was so good.
We all stood in line, and some wondered if there would be enough for everyone. But this beautiful bison, from Wakaw, Saskatchewan, was roasted to perfection and fed us all. There was no fee. It was simply part of the experience. All were welcome at the table, and we shared a beautiful meal with new friends and neighbors.
Add in chuckwagon races, Indian relay races, jigging, and more, and it became a true celebration.
Celebrating who you are and where you come from is a choice. Yes, there are things in our pasts — in our families, communities, countries, and world — that have caused hurt. And there are also people rising now to create a different future. To witness that was a blessing.
I found myself thinking of the impact gatherings like this can have — the bridges built, the stories given a little more healing, the eyes opened just a little wider.
May you, too, rise to the beauty of you, the brilliance of you, and the blessing that you be in this world.
For you truly are a blessing.
I am grateful you are here, and I would love to hear from you: What are you celebrating? What adventures are you having? What might four open days create for you? And if there is a part of the past keeping you stuck, maybe this is the moment to ask for healing and rise to the moment that is here now.
Blessings be.
Shine on.
Christine
P.S. Here are a few photos from the weekend adventure. May they inspire you to be the adventure you seek.
Your Affirmation + Sacred Reminder
“Beloved, you do not need to fill every space to prove your worth. You do not need to rush to be enough. You do not need to carry yesterday or fear tomorrow.
Today, may you remember this:
There is wisdom in the pause.
There is healing in spaciousness.
There is beauty in letting life breathe.”
– Christine Ciona
Please forward this to one person.
Ease and Joy is Shareable
