Nicola MacDonald

We often think connection has to be big to matter — big conversations, big events, big transformations. But in reality, it’s built in the smallest units of time. A shared laugh over a subtle facial expression. A pause before someone speaks. Eye contact that lasts just a second longer than usual. These are micro moments — brief, often unnoticed interactions that shape how we feel, how we connect, and how we remember an experience. The problem is, screens interrupt them. Every glance at a...

There’s something about this time of year that feels like a quiet awakening. The light lingers a little longer. The air softens. Blossoms begin to appear where there was once bare branches. Birds are louder. Mornings feel gentler. Nature begins to re-emerge. And so do we. As Lia Leendertz writes in The Almanac “The first migrants arrive in the woodlands this month: listen for the chiffchaff, named after its distinctive call, willow warblers and blackcaps joining the dawn chorus… Hibernating...

I was reminded this week how important community really is. I’ve just returned from a monthly women’s circle, and it was exactly what I needed. There was tea. There was warmth. There were stories shared gently, without interruption or distraction. Phones were on silent, tucked away. No one scrolling. No one half-listening. Just presence. And it struck me how rare that feels. I’m going through a particularly tough time right now. I recently received the devastating news that someone I love is...