Noticing the Beauty

The Gift of Belonging

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568948/fan_mail/new] What helps a child survive life's hardest seasons? A story about orphan trains led me down an unexpected path—through the childhood experiences of my grandparents, the beloved pages of Anne of Green Gables, and memories of my own family. As I reflected on children who have been displaced by loss, poverty, divorce, and circumstance, one truth kept emerging: every child needs to know they belong. This week's Cuppa Joy explores the lasting power of unconditional love and the people who help us find our way home. 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 robyn@delongteam.com

The Human Side of Artificial Intelligence

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568948/fan_mail/new] As 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 robyn@delongteam.com

Our Freedom to Choose

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568948/fan_mail/new] Even 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 robyn@delongteam.com

The Heart of Teaching

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568948/fan_mail/new] What 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 robyn@delongteam.com

Not Just Wine Improves with Age

Send us Fan Mail [https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568948/fan_mail/new] There’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 robyn@delongteam.com