mindful living

The Sky ~ A Poem by Elizabeth Madox Roberts

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Elizabeth Madox Roberts reminds us that wonder isn’t lost — it just waits for us to look up again.

Elizabeth Madox Roberts

I saw a shadow on the ground 
                        And heard a bluejay going by; 
                        A shadow went across the ground, 
                        And I looked up and saw the sky. 

                        It hung up on the poplar tree, 
                        But while I looked it did not stay; 
                        It gave a tiny sort of jerk 
                        And moved a little bit away. 

                        And farther on and farther on 
                        It moved and never seemed to stop. 
                        I think it must be tied with chains 
                        And something pulls it from the top. 

                        It never has come down again, 
                        And every time I look to see, 
                        The sky is always slipping back 
                        And getting far away from me.

Source

Reflection:

Elizabeth Madox Roberts’ “The Sky” captures that moment when a child’s curiosity touches infinity. What begins as a passing shadow becomes an awakening — a simple act of looking up. The poem unfolds in pure wonder, noticing the movement of the sky as if it were alive, chained, and gently tugged from above.

Through a child’s eyes, Roberts reveals something adults often forget: the world is always moving, breathing, and beckoning us to notice. The sky doesn’t actually slip away — we drift from it, buried in busyness. The poem invites us back into the mystery, reminding us that awe isn’t naïve — it’s sacred awareness.

Each time we pause to look at the sky, we reawaken the part of ourselves that still believes in wonder, movement, and unseen hands that keep the universe in motion.

Question for Readers:

When was the last time you stopped, looked up, and simply felt wonder? What did the sky say to you in that moment?

Cooking for One: How My Air Fryer Became My Best Friend in the Kitchen

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After loss, I had to learn how to cook — fast, healthy, and without the fuss. What I discovered wasn’t just food…it was freedom in an air fryer.

I do all my cooking. I cook healthy. I learned a lot by watching my wife, but I never cooked until after she died I had to learn to cook, buy healthy foods, and figure a way to make it all taste good . I’m not one to work in the kitchen for two hours preparing a meal. I’d like to get the meal cooked without creating a big hassle. So how did I resolve this? I bought an air fryer. That is a single person’s gold. Here’s a typical meal. Last night I began by preparing a small sweet potato. I washed it, stuck the knife in it about six times, and rubbed it in olive oil. I set the air fryer on preheat to 420 and after four minutes I popped my sweet potato in and set the time for 38 minutes. When the 26 minute mark came around, I put in a piece of frozen salmon. I flipped the salmon over every five minutes. Halfway through I turn the sweet potato over. At 15 minutes to go I put mushroom and Chito pepper in. My air fryer is filling up but I’m not done yet. With five minutes to go I tossed in some asparagus. When the bell rings there’s my meal is done, all I have to do is to plate it. My air fryer is my BFF.,

Learning to cook for one can feel like learning to live all over again. It’s not just about food — it’s about rebuilding routine, dignity, and even joy. Standing at the counter, I realized each meal could be a small act of love, a promise to keep living well. My air fryer may not speak, but it reminds me daily that nourishment doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful. Every sizzle, every bite, is a whisper that life continues — that we can care for ourselves with the same kindness we once gave to others.

What’s your go-to quick meal that brings comfort and joy without spending hours in the kitchen?

Light for the Journey: A Heart Without Words: The True Meaning of Prayer

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Mahatma Gandhi reminds us that prayer is not about asking for more—it’s about becoming more. It’s the soul’s quiet language of longing and surrender.

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.” ― Mahatma Gandhi

Reflection:

Prayer is not a request—it’s a return. Gandhi’s words remind us that to pray is to stand bare before the divine with nothing to prove and everything to feel. When we let go of words, we enter the silence where humility and connection live.

Each prayer, spoken or unspoken, is an admission of our shared fragility and a celebration of our shared strength. It’s the heart’s way of whispering, “I am here, and I am listening.”

True prayer doesn’t ask—it awakens. It calls us to live from the quiet space between thought and breath, where love, hope, and gratitude rise naturally.

When words fail, what helps you connect to that quiet space where your soul feels most alive?

Who’s in Your Living Room—And Why Are They Yelling?

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You wouldn’t invite an angry guest to dinner—so why let them into your ears and your mind? Be careful who you give emotional real estate to.

Would you invite someone into your home for dinner if you knew they would make you angry? Everyone I know would not send an RSVP to someone like that. Why ruin a good dinner party with someone who is going to come in and make everyone angry. The crazy thing about this is that many of us do this every single day without even knowing it. I go for a walk every evening after dinner. Last night after dinner when I went on my walk there was a car parked next to the mailboxes. A woman was outside the car, checking her mail. Her door was open and her radio was loud enough for me to hear what was playing. She was listening to a talk show with a talk. Show host was filled with anger. A talkshow host was conveying an angry message, both and words and in tone. It struck me that she invited this person into her home. All he could do was upset her and make her angry. I wondered how many people popped their AirPods in and listen to similar garbage. They let other people make them angry. They let other people make them frightened. They let other people take control of their emotions. What we consciously would not accept in our homes, we unconsciously invite in and tell them to make themselves comfortable. How do the things you listen to affect you? Do they uplift you and inspire you? Do they turn you inside out and upside down? Think about who you’re letting into your home before you let them in.

❓ Reflective Questions:

  1. What voices or messages have you subconsciously allowed into your “emotional living room”?
  2. Do the media or shows you listen to nourish your peace—or stir up unnecessary fear and anger?
  3. What boundaries can you create to protect your mental and emotional space from toxic influences?

Light for the Journey: When Life’s a Mystery Buffet, Grab a Fork: The Power of Embracing Uncertainty

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What if the thing you’re most afraid of—uncertainty—is actually your golden ticket to a fuller, more vibrant life?

When you become comfortable with uncertainty, infinite possibilities open up in your life. ~ Eckhart Tolle

🌱 Reflection:

We spend so much of our lives chasing clarity, trying to plan every moment, dodge every detour, and outwit every surprise. But what if uncertainty isn’t the enemy? Eckhart Tolle reminds us that when we grow comfortable with the unknown, life expands. The rigid doors of control quietly creak open to reveal wide windows of opportunity, creativity, and joy. Think about it: the most meaningful turns in life—falling in love, starting a new journey, discovering a hidden strength—often emerge from the fog of not knowing. When we stop resisting the ambiguity, we start dancing with possibility. Maybe today’s chaos is tomorrow’s clarity in disguise. Maybe the question marks are just commas in a sentence that’s still being written. So loosen your grip. Trust the unfolding. And let life surprise you.

Light for the Journey: When Even the Empty Cup Shines: Finding Promise in the Quiet Mornings

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Some mornings don’t need noise or caffeine to wake us up. Sometimes, it’s the stillness—the light through the window, the hush before the rush—that whispers, “Today can be beautiful.”

There are mornings when everything brims with promise, even my empty cup. ~ Ted Kooser

There are mornings when the world doesn’t hand us answers—just light. And somehow, that’s enough. The empty cup, still warm from yesterday’s rituals, becomes a symbol of what might be. Not what we’ve lost, but what’s waiting to be filled again.

Hope isn’t always loud. Sometimes, it’s just a quiet yes in the middle of nothing, reminding us we’re still here, still able, still beginning.

Still Asking the Same Old Questions? Maybe That’s the Problem

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If your brain keeps giving you the same answers, maybe it’s tired of your boring questions. What if the key to a better vacation—or a better life—is as simple as asking something radically different? You’re only one fresh question away from an adventure your routine can’t even imagine.

The questions we ask make all the difference in the world to the quality of our lives. We’re not aware of it, however, we constantly ask ourselves questions during the day. It’s something we do unconsciously. We ask ourselves hundreds of little questions like, “Should I go to the bathroom?” “How did my team do last night?” “How is the stock market doing?” Then, there are more profound questions such as, “Do you love me?” “Why do you want to split, I thought we were OK?” “I wonder if I should see the doctor about this lump on my arm?” And there are lots of questions in between such as, “Where should I go on vacation this year?” I wonder what he/she will like for his/her birthday?”

How we ask our questions often determines what we find. If we change the type of question we are asking we get a different answer. Here is an example of how this happened to me yesterday. I have been thinking about where I’d like to go for a small vacation this summer. My mind kept going to a favorite spot in the Rocky Mountains. I thought of other places, but they couldn’t compare, in my mind, to my favorite spot. I checked airline prices and lodging prices and availability. I was set to make a decision when I decided to ask a different question. The question I asked was this, “What if I could go to any place in the entire world but not the place that I am familiar with in the Rocky Mountains?” Well, my brain started buzzing. At first it resisted. It didn’t like that question. But the more I thought about it the more freeing it became to me. I began to think of a way to get answers to that question. I’ve settled on three possibilities and none of them are in the Rocky Mountains. I’m excited to go on my little adventure later in the summer. Is it time you asked yourself a different question?

🤔 Three Speculative & Engaging Questions:

  1. What’s one area of your life where you keep getting the same answer—because you keep asking the same question?
  2. If you weren’t allowed to choose your usual go-to solution, what else might be possible?
  3. What hidden doors might open if you changed “Why is this happening to me?” to “What can I learn from this?”

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