You Are The Sky [David’s blog on DR Thursday]

Posted on October 15, 2026 by davidrobinsoncreative

Breck is looking stressed and who can blame her. These days there’s plenty to be stressed about. I had a chat with her about stress reduction strategies. I even used a line from Pema Chödrön: “You are the sky. Everything else – it’s just the weather.” She shook her leaves in indignation and looked at me like I was an idealistic dullard. We both knew that the excessive heat and rain this summer was not the only cause of her stress.

“Back at you, brother,” she rustled.

If Breck is having trouble staying present amidst the onslaught of dangerous national depravity, then I suppose I can grant a bit of grace to myself as well. Just breathe. Practice presence and stop biting the hook of the daily outrage.

Breck was quick to point out that not all of her leaves are stressed. In fact, the majority are not. The vast majority are beginning their autumn change to vibrant yellow. She directed my attention to the edges of her leaves, olive-sage slightly rimmed in canary. “You might have noticed had you not had your head buried so deep in the news,” she quaked.

I hate to admit it but she’s right.

We watched a documentary about Timothy Olson, the man who set the fastest known time running the Pacific Crest Trail. He said a few things worth noting. First, adversity, the hard stuff, is what pops us open to the fullness of life. Second, joy is the point of running the trail so be careful not to lose the joy in the adversity. Those are not direct quotes but you get the gist.

We are living in extraordinary times. We have a cup brimming with adversity so we must also have an ocean of life awaiting our attention. I just finished reading Paulo Coehlo’s book, The Zahir. There’s a quote that lines up well with Pema Chödrön’s:

“Welcome, nomad who crosses the steppes. Welcome to the place where we always say that the sky is blue even when it is grey, because we know that the color is still there above the clouds.”

“You are the sky,” Breck winked and swayed.

I nodded. “Back at you, sister.”

Don’t you love it when you discover that your trees are smarter than you?