Evie and the Silly words

Colton was outside practicing his ninja moves in the backyard. He’d just perfected a spinning kick that almost knocked over his juice box when he spotted Evie sitting on the porch steps, arms folded and face scrunched like she’d eaten a lemon.

He paused mid-kick.

“Hey, Evie ,” he called. “Why the frowny face?”

Evie didn’t answer. She picked at a loose string on her sock like it was the most important task in the world.

Colton jogged over and flopped down beside her. “You look like a grumpy chipmunk.”

Evie sighed. “Someone at school said I was stupid. In front of everyone.”

Colton said “Wait, you? The girl who made a flying butterfly trap out of popsicle sticks and a sock? That was genius-level science.”

Evie didn’t smile. Her eyes were glassy. “It just… it made me feel small.”

Colton nodded slowly. He didn’t like it when people messed with his little sister. But he also knew something important, something he’d learned from Papa and his own not so fun days.

“Evie,” he said, picking up a stick and drawing a little wiggly cloud in the dirt, “wanna see something kinda weird, but true?”

She glanced over. “Depends. Is it gross?”

“No promises,” he grinned. “Okay, imagine your brain is like this sky. Every day, thoughts fly in like clouds. Some are big and puffy. like ‘Yay! Pancakes!’ And some are dark and rainy, like ‘I’m not good enough.’”

Evie nodded slowly.

“But here’s the thing,” Colton continued, squinting at the sky, “the sky doesn’t get mad at the clouds. It just lets them float by. That mean thing someone said? That’s just a cloud. And when you thought about it, it started to rain inside.”

Evie said. “So… I’m not actually stupid?”

“Not even close!” Colton grinned. “You just thought you were for a second.  But thoughts can be tricky little clouds. And just because one floats by doesn’t mean it’s true. Even if it feels real."

Evie sat with that. Her frown was loosening.

“You mean I don’t have to feel yucky all day just ’cause of one dumb cloud? Or because someone called me a name. "

“Exactly. You can let it float on by. Maybe blow on it if it’s being extra annoying.”

Evie giggled. “Pffffft!”

Colton pretended to fall backward from the force of her breath. “Whoa! You’re a cloud-blasting champion!”

Evie stood up, wiping her cheeks. “Thanks, Colton.”

“Anytime, Cloud Ninja,” he said, giving her a high five. “Now, wanna help me practice my new kick?”

Evie smiled. “Only if I can name it.”

“Deal.”

And just like that, the mean cloud was gone, and the backyard was full of flying kicks and laughter

Three Principles in Action

1. Mind
Mind is the quiet wisdom behind life, like the open sky itself. It never gets upset by clouds and it never disappears. In that moment on the porch, Mind showed up as Colton’s natural insight. He did not have to think hard or fix Evie. The understanding simply came to him, steady and calm, reminding him that hurtful words do not define who someone is.


2. Consciousness
Consciousness is what made Evie’s experience feel real. When she believed the thought “I’m stupid,” Consciousness lit it up and it felt heavy and true, like a dark cloud blocking the sun. As her awareness shifted, the same Consciousness allowed her to see the thought for what it was. Nothing outside had changed, but her experience did.


3. Thought
Thought was the cloud drifting through Evie’s sky. The idea “I’m stupid” was not a fact, it was a passing thought that she momentarily believed. Once she saw it as just a cloud, the feeling softened on its own. The thought floated by, and the sky was still there.

Final Thought

You don’t have to chase away clouds to get your blue sky back. The sky was never gone. Thoughts can shout, whisper, or pretend they are important, but they are still just clouds passing through. When you notice that, sometimes all it takes is a little giggle, a deep breath, or a well-timed flying kick for everything to feel lighter again.