Morning Cuppa Joy

Send us Fan MailAs artificial intelligence grows smarter, what will help us remain deeply human? Artificial intelligence is everywhere these days—sparking excitement in some people and fear in others. In this week’s Cuppa Joy, I reflect on my own surprising journey with A.I.—from learning WordPress and podcasting to troubleshooting technology and even keeping my fishpond healthy.But alongside the convenience and wonder come deeper questions. How do we remain discerning in a world of deepfakes and misinformation? What happens if technology becomes so persuasive that we slowly surrender critical thinking and human connection?Along the way, I revisit HAL 9000 from 2001: A Space Odyssey, explore why some tech leaders are now emphasizing the importance of the humanities, and consider what qualities may matter most in an age of artificial intelligence.Perhaps the question is not whether machines will become more intelligent—but whether humans will remain deeply human.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailEven when life upends everything we’ve planned and hoped for, one freedom still remains—the freedom to choose our response.This week’s Cuppa Joy explores the layered concept of choice—not simple choices like chocolate or vanilla, but the deeper choices we face when life upends our plans and leaves us confronting circumstances we never would have chosen for ourselves. Inspired by the life and work of Holocaust survivor and psychologist Dr. Edith Eva Eger, along with the writings of Viktor Frankl, this episode reminds us of our power to choose our response even in life’s hardest moments.This episode is dedicated to Edith Eva Eger, whose wisdom continues to inspire courage, healing, and hope.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if one of the greatest gifts a teacher gives isn’t knowledge, but words that shape a child’s heart for a lifetime? This week, I’ve been thinking about teachers—not just what they teach, but what they leave behind. A kind word. A moment of understanding. The courage to stand up for someone else. The reminder that our words matter.In this episode, I share the stories of three remarkable teachers whose lessons reached far beyond the classroom, and reflect on how words can wound, heal, and echo through a lifetime. It’s a reminder that some of the most important lessons children learn are not found in textbooks, but in how we treat one another—and ourselves.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailThere’s a subtle message most of us have absorbed about aging—that after a certain point (no one can say exactly when) it’s all a downhill slide. But what if that’s not the whole story? Maybe it’s not just wine that gets better with age.In this episode, I explore a new concept called “joyspan,” the depth and duration of joy we experience across our lives, and what it might look like to focus not just on how long we live, but how joyfully we live.I also share a small moment from my week—one that brought my mother to mind and reminded me of how much I appreciated learning from her even when she didn’t know she was teaching me.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWe often think of art as something we visit—paintings on walls, music in concert halls. But what if art is something we live… something that helps us heal? In this episode, I explore the healing power of art—far beyond museums and galleries. From programs in prisons to journaling in classrooms, creativity helps people express emotion, discover meaning, and reconnect with themselves. Our narrow definitions of art—and the ways we measure intelligence—can lead many creative people to overlook their own gifts. If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailI first visited Alaska just days after the sudden loss of my son, Michael. In the midst of grief, I experienced a moment that has stayed with me ever since—a reminder to pay attention to the beauty all around us, even when life feels overwhelming. In this episode, I reflect on that moment, on the changes happening across our planet, and on the people who are choosing to care—from one man planting a forest in India to efforts to restore ancient trees in the heart of Detroit. It’s an invitation to notice what is right in front of us, to shift from despair to hope.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWe never know what invitations and challenges life will bring us or how they might change us. In this episode, I share the story of Grandma Gatewood, who walked the Appalachian Trail alone at 67, and a journey of my own that began with a simple question—what if I said yes? It’s a reflection on resilience, becoming, and the quiet strength we discover when we keep going.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailWhat if something as simple as a smile could change someone’s day—or even their life?In this episode of Morning Cuppa Joy, I explore the power of small acts of kindness through the story of a young boy who set out to make people smile, along with a few moments from my own life.Blending story, science, and lived experience, this is a gentle reminder that we are not alone in the work of making the world better—one smile at a time. A warm reflection on the unseen impact of what we give—and a gentle invitation to keep on smiling.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailSpring has a way of arriving with a little bit of everything—Easter, Passover, Spring Break, and the return of baseball season. In this episode of Cuppa Joy, I reflect on shifting holidays, Little League days, and hot bleachers, and how quickly the seasons of our lives change. It’s a gentle reflection on time, memory, and the way spring returns each year, carrying pieces of our lives back to us.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn a world that often feels heavy with what is being torn apart, today’s Cuppa Joy reflects on the importance of noticing what is still being tended, nurtured, and brought back to life. From a rewilded estate in England to community gardens right here in Sacramento, this episode explores the quiet, steady work of restoration happening all around us. It’s a gentle reminder that not all change is loud—and that small acts of care, whether planting seeds, sharing food, or simply paying attention, can shape a future we can be proud to pass on to future generations.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailHappy St. Patrick’s Day. Today’s reflection explores Ireland’s deep respect for what Celtic tradition calls “thin places”—where the unseen line between the ordinary and the sacred grows thin. From ancient beehive huts built by early monks to a humble hawthorn fairy tree that caused engineers to reroute an entire highway, this story celebrates Ireland’s enduring respect for the mystical.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailThere is a time for rocking babies to sleep and filling the kitchen table with crafts and science experiments. And then, quietly, our place in the circle begins to shift. In this episode, I reflect on how the ache we feel isn’t from love fading, but from expecting it to look the same in every chapter—and how we can learn to love with open hands. If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailThere was a time when “You’re not the boss of me!” was the loudest voice in my kitchen. In this episode, I reflect on what that determined three-year-old taught me about power, partnership, and shared dignity. Honoring Women’s History Month, I explore the work of Riane Eisler and her vision of moving from domination to partnership—beginning in our families and rippling outward. What if the real strength of a society is not who holds the most power, but how power is held?If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn this week’s Cuppa Joy, I reflect on the legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson at the close of Black History Month. Not through campaigns or controversy, but through a story he often told about his grandmother—a woman who couldn’t afford a blanket and stitched scraps into a quilt to keep her family warm. What might it mean to “stitch a country together” in our own time? This episode explores our shared desire to hold onto a dream, to stitch together differences, and to choose warmth over separation.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn honor of Presidents Day, I found myself looking beyond the holiday to something deeper — how leadership is formed long before titles or power. From the childhood hardships of Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, and Roosevelt to Viktor Frankl’s reminder that we always retain the freedom to choose our response, this week’s Cuppa Joy explores the narrow but powerful space between event and response — and the moment we realize we have a say in the outcome.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailThis week’s Cuppa Joy begins with a joke from comedian Josh Johnson about Spanish at the Super Bowl. It made me laugh — and then made me think. Why is it often easier to enjoy what a culture creates than to welcome the people themselves? As I reflect during Black History Month, I share some honest thoughts about tribal instincts, widening our circles, and a quiet conviction that love keeps refusing to give fear the final word. If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Cuppa Joy, I reflect on the Walk for Peace—a long-distance pilgrimage led by Buddhist monks walking from Texas through the southern and eastern states toward Washington, D.C. Through quiet presence, simple teachings, crying babies, and a beloved peace dog named Aloka, the monks offer a lived reminder that peace is not an abstract idea, but a daily practice. It’s a gentle invitation to notice where peace is already walking among us—and how we might walk with it. If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail In this week’s Cuppa Joy, Robyn reflects on friendship, life’s choices, and the small human connections that quietly hold a troubled world together. From birthday phone calls and baking bread to a story of grassroots kindness, this episode explores how living tenderly in our own small corners can make a meaningful difference. If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan MailIn this episode of Cuppa Joy, Robyn reflects on the power of words to shape memory, meaning, and connection across time. Inspired by Robert Frost’s moving appearance at President Kennedy’s inauguration, she explores how poetry and writing live not only on the page, but in the body, the heart, and our shared human story.The episode includes a personal reflection on Robyn’s writing practice and a piece written from the prompt, “I write because,” offered as it arrived. A gentle invitation to slow down, listen inward, and cherish the words that help us remember who we are.If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail In this episode of Cuppa Joy, Robyn reflects on how we respond when someone we love is experiencing deep sadness. Drawing from friendship, grief, and recent research on happiness, she explores why joy isn’t one-size-fits-all — and how quiet companionship may be the greatest kindness we can offer one another.  If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail What can a single red paperclip teach us about New Year’s resolutions, imagination, and the quiet power of possibility? In this episode of Cuppa Joy, I share the true story of a man who began with one paperclip and, through curiosity, kindness, and persistence, eventually traded his way to a house. It’s a story that invites us to rethink resolutions — not as grand promises or rigid goals, but as something else entirely: how meaningful change often begins humbly, grows through connection, and unfolds in ways we could never plan.  If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]

Send us Fan Mail This week’s Morning Cuppa Joy — reflections on the questions we keep asking, the lessons we live into, and the mystery of being human.  If something in today’s Cuppa stirred a thought or a memory, sparked a question, or simply made you want to reach out, I’d love to hear from you. Write to me at [email protected]