Can I tell you a story?

Once upon a time there was a girl called Molly. As a child, Molly loved nothing more than going on adventures to wild places or finding the perfect quiet nook to become absorbed in a favourite story. Although her life was simple, it brought her joy and she didn’t crave anything else.

Then, shortly after her 18th birthday, Molly left this quiet life to venture forth into the land of adulthood.

At first, Molly was excited about this new adventure. Everything felt fresh and shiny and she was bursting with ideas and dreams of the life she would have now that she was all grown up.

However, over time, Molly noticed the shine begin to fade. Having worked for years to achieve her dream career, she couldn’t understand why she wasn’t perfectly happy. Why she couldn’t dismiss the creeping dread that something was wrong. Something was missing. She was lost.

But then, a spark. A whisper of an idea. A realization that she didn’t need to live this way. That, if she wanted, she could change her life. She could be happy again.

Sadly, there was no fairy-godmother to help Molly on her way. She would need to forge a new path herself, and, at times, this was very hard. More than once, Molly felt like giving up, but she persevered and, slowly, over time, a new life came into focus.

It wasn’t a perfect life she was seeking. Rather one that was filled with the quiet wonder that she’d evoked as a child. A life that prioritised what made her happy, even if that seemed different to everyone else.

And, over this time, Molly realised that she wasn’t alone. That there were people all over the world that wanted the same thing. A life filled with simple joys. A path that felt like theirs. So, she started to write to them, even sending the odd video diary here and there, and then, to her utmost delight, a community of kindred spirits was born. It felt like the most perfect form of magic.

Now, she writes a story once a week, freely sharing musings from her slow life in the Scottish Highlands. She invites a special few for tea (where they inevitably chat about books!) and shares quiet letters with them, so they can help each other and nurture a kinder world where all are accepted.

Molly doesn’t know how her story will end, but she does know that it will be filled with books and nature. And that is enough.

Some kind whispers from my Substack family…..