Morning Cuppa Joy
Morning Cuppa Joy is a weekly reflection on being human — love, loss, curiosity, and everyday moments of grace. Written and read by Robyn DeLong, each episode invites listeners to focus on the beauty and love that surround us, and to notice the joy that bubbles up even in the midst of chaos. Each Cuppa is a gentle reminder to be grateful for the precious moments we’re given and the people we get to share them with.
Episodes
23 episodes
The Gift of Belonging
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...
The Human Side of Artificial Intelligence
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 jo...
Our Freedom to Choose
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...
The Heart of Teaching
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 ...
Not Just Wine Improves with Age
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....
Beyond Museums
We 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 gallerie...
Noticing the Beauty
I 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 overwhelmi...
Grandmas on the Move
We 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...
Keep On Smiling
What 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...
Batter Up, Bunnies, and Spring
Spring 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 ho...
Planting Seeds of Hope
In 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 rig...
Thin Places in the Veil
Happy 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 ...
Loving With Open Hands
There 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...
The Power of Partnership
There 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 ...
Stitching a Country Together
In 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...
Taking the Helm
In 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 r...
Welcoming the Whole Enchilada
This 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 r...
Walking for Peace
In 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,...
Living Tenderly in a Troubled World
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 episod...
The Words We Cherish Over Time
In 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 writ...
Finding Joy in the Midst of Sadness
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 — an...
