Evie and the Mystery Mood

Evie plopped herself onto the workshop steps like a melted scoop of ice cream. She rested her chin in her hands and groaned loudly enough that even the dogs paused mid zoomie to check on her. The sun was bright, birds were chirping, Papa was humming, and yet Evie felt like someone had snuck a small rain cloud into her chest. Papa glanced over, surprised to see his granddaughter sitting still. “Evie girl,” he said gently, “you look a little low today. Like a balloon that forgot to stay inflated.” Evie let out another long groan. “I know. I feel weird. Kind of heavy. And I do not even know why. Nothing happened. I just woke up feeling like an old sock.” Papa chuckled. “An old sock?” “Yes,” Evie said with dramatic flair. “Not even a cool sock. Not a sparkly sock. Just one of those sad gray ones with no partner. That is how I feel.” Papa settled beside her. “Sounds like quite a mood.” “It is awful,” Evie said. “There should be a rule that feelings have to explain themselves. Like a little card that says ‘Reason for Mood’ so I know what is going on.” “That would be handy,” Papa agreed. Evie nodded firmly. “Yes. Because right now I feel bleh, and bleh is rude.” Papa smiled. “Everybody has a bleh day sometimes.” Evie frowned at her shoes. “I don't think so. I think I might be the only kid in the world who wakes up feeling like mashed potatoes for absolutely no reason.” Papa raised an eyebrow. “Mashed potatoes!?” “With lumps,!” Evie added. Papa folded his arms thoughtfully. “If nothing happened, and you feel this way anyway, maybe your mind has been busy.” Evie squinted at him. “Busy how? Like arguing with itself about whether cereal is a soup?” “Not exactly. More like wandering around picking up thoughts here and there.” “Oh,” she said. “Like my brain is a squirrel gathering nuts it does not need?” “Exactly like that.” Evie groaned. “Great. I have a squirrel brain. I knew it.” Papa laughed. “What kinds of things has your squirrel been picking up today?” Evie began counting on her fingers. “Well, I was thinking about school and hoping I do good in math this year because apparently numbers like to hide from me. And then I was thinking about my hair because it exploded this morning and I looked like a friendly lion. And then I wondered if other kids feel weird like this or if I am the only one with mystery moods.” Papa listened carefully before speaking. “Those are perfectly normal thoughts. And when they stack up a bit, even small ones can make the day feel heavy. But it is not the day that feels heavy. It is the thoughts you are feeling.” Evie stared ahead. “So the mashed potato mood is not coming from my life. It is coming from my brain squirrel.” Papa nodded. “That is one way to put it.” Evie sighed. “At least the squirrel is cute.” “Yes probably,” Papa laughed. Evie shifted a little closer to him. “So you are saying I am not broken. I am just… thinking.” “Exactly,” Papa said softly. “Feelings follow thought in the moment.” Evie was quiet for a moment, thinking it over. Then her eyes widened. “Well that explains it. My thoughts woke up before I did.” Papa laughed. “That happens.” “And they were dramatic before breakfast,” Evie added. “That happens too.” Evie leaned her head against his shoulder. “You know something? I already feel a little lighter. And I did not fix anything. I did not even do anything. My brain squirrel must have run off.” “That is how it works,” Papa said. “Thoughts come and go.” Evie nodded. “I like that. It feels… comfy. Like when you find the soft spot on the couch.” Papa kissed the top of her head. “Truth usually feels like that.” They sat in quiet for a moment as the dogs returned to chasing invisible monsters again. Evie took a deep breath, and her shoulders rose a little higher than before. “I am back to being at least a medium potato,” she said proudly. Three Principles in Action 1. Mind Mind is the quiet inner wisdom that gently opened up space for Evie to hear something fresh. Even inside her dramatic mashed potato mood, Mind was steady and waiting, ready to guide her the instant she became curious about what was really happening. 2. Consciousness Consciousness made Evie’s bleh feeling feel real and solid, even though it came from innocent thoughts. It allowed her to fully feel the heavy mood and later helped her notice the lighter, funnier feeling as her thoughts shifted naturally. 3. Thought Thought created the entire mood. Her worries about school, her hair, and wondering whether she was the only kid with mystery moods stacked up until she felt heavy. When those thoughts passed on their own, her feelings changed too. Thought is always the paintbrush that creates the mood, but Consciousness is what makes the picture come alive. Final Thought Even the funniest, brightest kids can wake up with a mystery mood. It does not mean anything is wrong. It simply means their thoughts were scurrying around like busy little squirrels before they even knew it. And once we remember that feelings come from the thoughts we are having in the moment, the mood already begins to loosen. Before long, the heavy feeling lightens, and our inner mashed potato starts turning back into something brighter. Sometimes even a curly fry.