<![CDATA[Pennie Hunt - The Corner of Spirit & Brave]]>

<![CDATA[Pennie Hunt - The Corner of Spirit & Brave]]>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 14:58:56 -0600Weebly<![CDATA[IT IS CLEAN SHEET DAY! By Pennie Hunt]]>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 18:36:11 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/it-is-clean-sheet-day-by-pennie-hunt

It is clean sheet day!

Isn’t that a wonderful feeling? That moment you slide your feet into the cool crispness of clean, fresh sheets! It is a luxury that I look forward to and enjoy! Did you know there is laundry soap, air freshener, and even candles that claim to smell like clean sheets? Everyone has a different description of what that smell is, but everyone understands the ‘feeling’ of clean sheet day.

This clean sheet day came with an even bigger bonus. This time, the sheets were not only clean, but also new. Brand new out of the package and washed for the first time. Extra cool, crisp comfort!

It was also time to take off the winter blankets and replace them with lightweight summer ones. I love heavy blankets that protect me from the cold nights. And the thick, heavy fur throw that lies across the bottom of the bed is delightful.

But the weight of winter has been lifted. The cold, frigid temperatures are past, and the new, fresh dew-filled mornings of summer are here. There is a lightness in the air. A clean, fresh crispness.

Along with the new sheets and lightweight blankets, I also changed the color scheme from a monotone canvas of beige and cream and added some springy greens. Nothing major, a few throw pillows with a fern leaf print that go well with the new sheets, and a new green lightweight throw across the foot of the bed. The bed and the room look brighter and lighter.

I don’t typically re-style my bedroom with the change of seasons, but this year it seemed like the right thing to do. This year has felt heavy. Even though our winter gave us very little snow, it felt like a long, painful cold time.

The weight of life is heavier than normal. It felt like it was the right time to lighten the load. The lifting of winter, heavy blankets, and the weight of the world seemed like a rite of passage. A walk into sunshine. I feel like my bedroom has been given a reset- a fresh start. A departure, a separation from the dark days of winter, and an open window to sunshine and renewal.

This simple action has also given a cool, comforting feeling of reset to my mind and body.

What can you do to give yourself the clean sheet feeling? Maybe your office needs to be decluttered- not organized, but decluttered. Get rid of the papers and unfinished business that pile up. Give yourself a clean sheet of space to work.

Maybe your kitchen needs deep cleaning? Imagine cooking your next meal in a sparkling kitchen that invites your heart to enjoy cooking.

There are many ways to give yourself the clean sheet feeling. Think of the best one for you and give yourself the gift of a reset. Say goodbye to winter and open your windows and your life to the cool crispness of that clean sheet feeling.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Intentionally shed the heaviness of life
to make room for resets and fresh starts.
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YOUR TURN...
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. And please feel free to email me at:
PennieHunt@gmail.com.
Thank you!
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All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013-2026 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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]]><![CDATA[HOW MANY DIAMONDS DO YOU HAVE? By Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 31 May 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/how-many-diamonds-do-you-have-by-pennie-hunt

I love shiny things. Stars in the sky. When the sun hits the ocean creating hundreds of reflections of sun glitter. Sparkly lights over a city at night. Sequins. And diamonds.

Especially diamonds. I have a few. My engagement and wedding ring. I also treasure the band of gold with 3 small diamonds – my Dad’s wedding band that I wear on my thumb. My Mom’s wedding set. I have other jewelry that holds diamonds and memories. I treasure them all.

I have an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner that I occasionally clean these items in. It uses a high frequency to zap all the dirt away from the diamonds, leaving them bright and sparkly. It amazes me how they can go from dull to blinding brightness when I give them the attention they deserve and polish them with love.

How many diamonds do you have? Diamonds don’t have to be set in gold and placed on your fingers or around your neck. Think about the diamonds you have in your life that don’t look like much, but if you give them the attention they deserve and polish them a little, they turn into a treasure.

Do you have an old car that you imagine refurbishing into custom condition? Maybe you are ready to remodel a room in your home, taking it from an outdated style to a new, sleek, modern design. Maybe you have already refinished your great-grandmother’s rocking chair, and now it sits happily as the center of attention in your living room. They all just need attention and a little polish of love. They are all diamonds… just waiting.

Now think deeper. Think of the people in your life. Your family and friends. Who have you been neglecting? Or if not neglecting, you haven’t been noticing their value. Is it time to call a friend and plan a lunch so you can share stories, catch up on each other’s news, and rehash memories? These are all forms of polishing. It brings out their shine and allows them to be a diamond in your life.

When was the last time you spent time with your parents, if you are lucky enough to still have them with you? Is it time to give them a little polish of love? It doesn’t require much attention to pull out the luster of a relationship. The luster of another diamond in your life.

And children. Oh, children, react the quickest and become blinding diamonds. Spending time with them is the strongest polish of love you can give them. They will be the brightest diamonds of all.

Do you see how many diamonds you have in your life? More than you can count. They are everywhere. Your friends, your parents, your siblings, your spouse or partner, your children, and your grandchildren are all the diamonds of your life.

Your life can be rich with these precious stones if you give them the attention they deserve and polish them with love.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Polish the diamonds of your life with love.
They deserve your attention.
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]]><![CDATA[EVEN I HAD A RELAPSE by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 24 May 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/even-i-had-a-relapse-by-pennie-hunt

I am known as the Happiness Lady. The optimist. The upbeat, happy person who brings everyone else out of their funk, their sadness, and their difficult times.

I am usually happy when I wake up and look forward to my days. But lately I have been down. I have had a relapse into sadness and am feeling a bit lost. It happens to me once in a while, and my husband reminds me that this feeling “is not very Pennie-Hunt-dot-com-like.”

I don’t enjoy the feeling. It doesn’t feel like me. It doesn’t feel natural.
Recently, I was having breakfast with my son, and he asked the simple question, how are you doing? Well, the flood gate of my mouth opened, and I laid out about a half dozen things that were not right in my world.

He sat back in his chair and said,
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that! Aren’t you the one who teaches everyone to be happy and positive?”

Yes, yes, I am. His reaction gave me a very quick and firm reset to my mood. We went on to have a very pleasant day together.

I thought about that short part of our conversation for days. I realized that nothing on my list of concerns that came out of my mouth that day was under my control. I couldn’t change any of it. It was really a laundry list of life. Things that happen all the time. None of it was happening “to” me. It was all happening around me. Close enough for me to feel emotional about it.

After I thought about it, I had to have a conversation with my heart… a heart-versation as I call them.

I had to listen to what is heavy on my mind, analyze it, … and feel it. Then I needed to listen to what my heart was saying about it. I realized the situations that were weighing on me were affecting me, my emotions, and my attitude. They were making my heart hurt.

Then I began reading some of my own writings and thinking about my own life lessons. I realized that even the happiness lady has times in life that rub on her heart. Even I can have a relapse into a gray area.
I had to concentrate on some of my core beliefs…

Don’t try to control situations that are not yours to control.
Worrying is a negative meditation and fuels more negativity.
Happiness is a choice.
Situations don’t happen to us; they happen to teach us and help us grow.

Sometimes life is hard to understand. We need to think about bad stuff in a good way. There is always something good hidden in the bad. There is always a lesson to learn.

I realized some of the situations I was stewing about were not mine to change. Not mine to worry about. And not my lesson to learn. Are they painful to feel? Yes. Are they hard to watch? Yes. But it is my choice in how I perceive them, how I react to them, and how I carry them in my life.

What is heavy on your heart? We are all human, and all have times when we relapse into gray sadness. If you are experiencing this, know that you are not alone.
Maybe it is time to look at the bad stuff in a good way.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Life is a continual series of situations.
How we perceive them is our choice.
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]]><![CDATA[MOMENTS OF INTIMATE CONNECTION by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 17 May 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/moments-of-intimate-connection-by-pennie-hunt

Gracie and Zenee

Every morning, I sit in my office recliner, cover up with a blanket, and drink my coffee. My dogs sit on my lap.
Zenee stretches out across the footrest, making herself look twice as long as she is, and immediately goes to sleep. Gracie jumps over Zenee to be higher on my lap, sits up straight, and waits for her complimentary morning massage.

She extends her neck so that I can rub under her mouth down to her chest, all the while looking right into my eyes. She moves and shifts positions, making sure her entire body is massaged, but she never drops eye contact. At times, I reach for my coffee or my phone, and then I notice she is staring at my eyes. It is very clear… it is her time. It is one-on-one time. It means something to her to have that intimate connection. She wants, no, she expects me to look at her.

We have all had this experience. If you think you haven’t, it is only because you didn’t notice. Today, our world works through electronics. We are constantly looking at a computer, a television, or a phone. We have been trained to do this.

We believe we need to see a text or email the second it arrives, and we think we need to respond with lightning speed. We need to see the breaking news the moment it is posted. We need to know what is trending and what is on sale so that we can tap the buy button and have it delivered the next day. We need to research every question we have as soon as the thought crosses our minds.

Everything is immediate, urgent, and in front of our faces at all times.

But there is someone wanting your attention. Someone wants eye contact. Someone is waiting behind the screen and wants to see your eyes. It could be your partner, your spouse, your child, a friend, or your dog. But someone wants the intimate connection. Someone wants their time with you.

We have seen this happen to other people. In a restaurant, a couple eats dinner with one hand while they are holding their phone and scrolling with the other. We notice this scenario, but do we notice when we are the ones doing it?

You can’t be with your phone and your life at the same time. People who love you want to be with YOU, not the backside of your phone. They want to see your eyes. They want one-on-one time. It means something to them to have that intimate connection with you.

Yes, technology seems to control our lives. We need to pay attention, be aware, and responsive to work, news, and communications. But not everything in life is of equal value. Prioritize your life choices and what matters at this moment.

When you are out to dinner with your spouse, put the screen away and give them the time they deserve. When you are with your kids, be with your kids and teach them to put down their electronics. If your dog is staring at you with those big, loving brown eyes, pay attention to what the message is.

We will not be successful at this all the time. We will not be connected all the time, but all the small moments, the intentional moments, of eye-to-eye connection add up.

And now, I am going back to my chair, my blanket, and my coffee. I have two sweet Shih Tzus waiting for me and an important massage to give.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Prioritize your life choices and what matters-
you can’t be with your phone and your life at the same time.
Make eye contact.
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]]><![CDATA[THE PHASES OF MOTHER’S DAY]]>Sun, 10 May 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/the-phases-of-mothers-day

Grandma Fern Hunt, Pennie Hunt, Daughter Sarah, Grandsons Dylan, Riley, Brady

I remember how proud I was to give my mom her Mother’s Day gift. My elementary school artwork of painted handprints that formed flowers was all it took to make her ooh and aah about what a beautiful gift I had given her.

As I grew, gifts became coffee and breakfast delivered to her bed, family meals out, and real flowers.

When I became a mom, I received the elementary school artwork and proudly displayed it on the refrigerator for all to see. The Mother’s Day dance of balancing time between pampering and loving my mom and enjoying the time being pampered and loved by my children lasted for years.

There was the year my mom took my young son shopping to buy me a Mother’s Day gift. Her idea was to purchase a couple of 99-cent six packs of marigolds from the local greenhouse. His idea was to buy me a beautiful dress. When I opened the gift, I could tell by the look on my mom’s face that the dress was much more expensive than her plan for a few flowers, but the pride on my son’s face had convinced her to buy the dress…and the flowers.

As my children grew, the days of sticky little painted fingers and sweet toddler kisses went by too fast. My Mother’s Day gifts became coffee and breakfast delivered to my bed, family meals out, and bouquets of flowers. I blinked, and it was college, first apartments, weddings, and flying through life on their own.

Each phase of the celebration of mothering is sweet, but one of the most meaningful times has been watching my daughter become a mother. Watching her journey through pregnancy and joining the club of motherhood stirs feelings of pride and joy. She has nurtured her children in a loving, caring way, with more grace and patience than I believe I had as a mother.

With all the joy and love that Mother’s Day brings, it is important to understand that this can be a painful day of grief and loss for many. My mom passed away several years ago, and although I think of her and celebrate her, Mother’s Day is also a reminder that she is no longer with me.

I love cards, flowers, and celebrations with my children and grandchildren, but Mother’s Day is also a reminder of the baby boy I lost and my grown son who has passed. The names Jake and Jameson are always in my mind, and thoughts of them hide behind my smile.

Never forget the ones who struggle through this day because of loss, grief, infertility, or being away from their family. Be sensitive to those who hold sadness on this day.
My heart swells with the love that surrounds Mother’s Day. The joy of loving my mom, experiencing birthing and loving my own children, and watching the next generation carry on the magic of motherhood is an amazing part of life.

No matter what phase of Mother’s Day you are in, whether you spend the day with your own mom, your children, a friend, family, mentor, or have a quiet day alone… remember we are all here because somewhere there was a mom that brought us to this world.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Blessings and love to moms everywhere!
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]]><![CDATA[WHEN 20% OF MY LIFE CAUSES 80% OF MY WORRIES By Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 03 May 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/when-20-of-my-life-causes-80-of-my-worries-by-pennie-hunt

I try not to worry. I really do. I believe that worrying is a negative meditation. When we meditate, we either try to clear our minds or concentrate on something that creates a calm space.
Worrying is the opposite. By thinking of a worrisome situation, we create a space that multiplies the worry. Most of the time, we are worrying about something we have no control over. Or we worry about things that are not that big of a deal, but by repeating the scenario in our mind, we are essentially training our brain to dwell in chaos.

So, I try not to worry.

Today, as I thought about how people worry, the 80/20 rule came to mind. In simple terms, the 80/20 rule is the concept that approximately 80% of outcomes come from about 20% of your effort. You can adapt this rule to many things in life, so let’s talk about it in terms of worrying.

Our list of worries, the ones we repeat to ourselves over and over and allow them to grow into giant worries, probably sprout from 20% of our lives. That means 80% of our lives are moving along in a good way. Maybe even in a splendid way.

Make a list of what you are worried about right now. Everyone has a different list. We worry about our children and families, our jobs, our bills, our pets, our health… this could go on in many ways and directions. And it could change moment by moment and day by day.

Now, let’s look at what is going well in your life. How many family members and friends do you have who are happy? Do you have a home to live in? Do you have a job? Is your health good? Does your dog run to see you when you walk in the door? Do you have shoes to wear and food to eat? Can you see, hear, touch, taste, and experience life? This list could go on in many ways and directions too. But I feel like this will be a longer list.

Now take an honest look at your life. I suspect that by stepping back and taking a reality check of the big picture, you have a lot to be thankful for and a lot that is splendid in your life. The worries come from a small percentage of your life. You may have one family member struggling, but the rest of your friends and family are doing well. You may be unhappy with one part of your job or one coworker, but the rest of your job is fine. When you analyze your life, those worries come from a small percentage- let’s say 20%- of your life. The other 80% is pretty great.

And when you look at the worries that you have absolutely no control over, they are probably causing you the most anxiety. If you could control them, you would be taking the steps to change the situation. Taking action lightens the worry. So, if you can’t control it, release it.

You might be thinking, " Oh, that is easy for her to say, her life is perfect." But let me set that thought straight. We are all human, and every one of us has that 20% in our life that can consume us in worry. Even me. Perspective is all about what you focus on, and what you focus on is your choice.

So here is the question… are you going to allow 20% of your life to cause you anxiety? Or are you going to concentrate on the 80% of your life that creates happiness, peace, and joy?
It is up to you, but the answer seems simple to me.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Perspective is a choice of what you focus on.
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]]><![CDATA[YOUR MEMORIES ARE FOR YOU by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 26 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/your-memories-are-for-you-by-pennie-hunt

Recently, I was having dinner with a young woman who is very close to my heart. I was talking about how fast my children grew up, and now it seems like the grandchildren are growing up even faster. I told her the really sad thing is, the grandchildren don’t remember some of the times with them that are the most special memories to me. These moments happened when they were younger - too young for them to remember.

That day, my friend gave me a lesson I will never forget. She said,
“But YOU remember. The memories are for you.”

What? I had never thought of it that way. I have great memories of times with my own grandmother. I wanted to be the same kind of memory maker that she was. Now I wonder if she thought about who she was making memories for. Me? Or herself? Or did she even realize she was making memories?

Think about the best memories from your past. It could be from your childhood, college, or as an adult. Think of the memories you carry in your heart. Do the other people in that memory remember the event? Does it touch them the way it touches you?

Maybe we can’t create intentional memories. Maybe it is in the moments of life where love is so deep that those special moments lodge in our hearts. We have no control over whose heart the memory lodges in. Maybe the memory floats around like the light of a firefly until it finds the right heart to burrow inside of.

If you are lucky, you may be the space where the memory lands. It lives there happily and quietly until, in special moments, it flutters in your heart and tickles your brain to remember.

Memories are unique. Even if a version of it lodges in another heart, your memory won’t be the same as the other version. We each encode, store, retain, and retrieve information, behaviors, and experiences in our own way.

I remember that dinner and those words so clearly. When she said, “But YOU remember. The memories are for you,” those words burrowed deep in my heart. It was a message I needed. It was a learning moment I will never forget.

Do I think my friend remembers saying it? I doubt if she does. It was one of those in-the-moment conversations that passed quickly. But so many times I have felt my heart flutter and tickle my mind to wake up that memory and remind me of the lesson I learned that day.

Don’t expect others to remember events the same way you do. Your memories are unique to you. Your memories are for you.

I would like to believe that somewhere deep inside, my children and grandchildren remember special times with me. I would like to believe these memories are burrowed in their hearts, waiting to flutter when the time is right. But even if that never happens, I remember.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Your memories are for you!
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]]><![CDATA[WHEN TIME STOPS AT 4:23 by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 19 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/when-time-stops-at-423-by-pennie-hunt

I have an old clock. It is a Westclox Big Ben De Luxe, made by the Western Clock Company of La Salle, Illinois. The patent date is March 29, 1927, and was made in the late l920’s. This was one of Westclox’s premium lines of mechanical alarm clocks and has the green crackled enamel finish, which was a signature style at that time. It cost $3.75. This clock was a dependable middle-class family item that was required if you were a farmer or a railroad worker and needed to be at work on time.

There is a plate on the bottom of the clock that is stamped, A.R. Davis. After researching this, I learned that A.R. Davis was a Westclox engineer and patent holder. His name is stamped on many clocks from that era.

My great-grandmother was married to a man named Albert E. Davis and lived less than 2 hours from where this clock was manufactured. So, of course, I wonder if somehow there was a connection. That is a mystery that may never be solved.

Other than that, it is just a clock. A clock that I always remember seeing on the bookshelf of our family home when I was growing up. A clock that I was drawn to. When my mother passed, it was a treasure that I brought to my house. Now it sits on a bookshelf in my office.

Today I looked at it and kept wondering why. Why was it always in our home? Why did my parents believe it was important to keep? Why didn’t I ever ask questions about it?

It was fun to do a little research and learn the details about where it was made and how old it was, but there is so much more I wish I knew. I wish I knew how many shelves it sat on. I wish I knew how many hands have held it, wound it, and set alarms on it. I wish I knew how many hours it counted before it stopped working. How long has it been permanently locked in at 4:23?

In my mind, I think of a family in 1930. They probably lived in a small farming community in a small home, and this clock woke them every morning. The story in my mind is sweet and simple, but the real truth is a mystery.

I think about the tick, tick, tick it made as it counted the minutes of a life from a time I never lived in. I wonder what the alarm sounded like as it went off in the morning. I wonder if the base is cracked and chipped from being slapped and knocked off a shelf when the alarm rang.

I think of how this clock has been passed down in my family. I wonder when the story of who it belonged to and how many shelves it sat on stopped being told.

Now it is a piece of décor that looks cool on my bookshelf without a story attached to it. The days of counting seconds, waking people up, and ticking away time are done. To me, it is a reminder of a past connected to me. A reminder of how fast time goes. And a reminder of mysteries that will never be solved.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
The real stories of the generations before us remain mysteries.
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]]><![CDATA[FIVE PARTS OF A LIFE RESUME by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/five-parts-of-a-life-resume-by-pennie-hunt

If you have applied for a job, you probably have a work resume. You know, the document that highlights your skills, accomplishments, and work background. This gives a prospective employer a snapshot of your ability and if you would fit into their workplace. It tells the story of what you do.

Have you considered creating a life resume? Not a summary that spotlights your work abilities, but a document that highlights how you are doing in life. Instead of sections on education and past work positions, your life resume would use a different format and include details on your strengths and challenges in life. It tells the story of who you are.

Relationships. Are you connected? Are you surrounded by friends, family, a significant other, or a spouse? Do you hold children close to your heart? Do you give selflessly? Do you have associations and involvement with people? Do you have emotional commitments and connections with others?

Outside World. Do you care about the environment, your community, and your world? Do you plant trees and nurture a garden? Do you support community improvements? Do you cherish this amazing world that we are lucky enough to inhabit? How do you care for the world outside of you?

Spirituality. What do you believe in? What stirs your soul? What do you lean on during trying times and give gratitude for during times of plenty? What centers you and gives you peace? This may be your God, a religion, or a knowing. When you take a deep breath and look at the sky, what cleanses your thoughts? What do you hold sacred? This is spirituality. What is this for you?

Wealth. This is not about your bank account or how fancy your car is. This is about feeling wealthy. Do you have what you need to survive? A shelter to live in where you feel safe. Do you have food to eat and clothes to keep you warm? But more than that, are you surrounded by friends and family, do you feel loved, and do you have free time to relax and read a book? These are all luxuries that should make you feel wealthy. What does your wealth look like?

Purpose. I believe we are in this life for three reasons. To learn what we are here to learn, to teach what we are here to teach, and to love and be loved.

How would you report your success in this area? Do you take lessons from your life experiences, even if they are failures or tragedies? Do you teach others when you have the opportunity to? Not in a boastful or bragging way, but in a kind and caring way.
And finally, have you loved and been loved? Have you loved during the hard times and the good? Have you allowed others to invade your heart and felt their love reach inside to loop the love you hold and allow it to circle back to theirs? Have you loved family and strangers alike? Have you loved and been grateful for this amazing life you have been given?

You may have more categories to include in your life resume, but you see the point. This isn’t about punching a time clock, hitting your goal, or how good you are at making money. This is about emotions, feelings, and your purpose in life.

What would your life resume look like?
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
A work resume tells the story of what you do.
A life resume tells the story of who you are.
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]]><![CDATA[I WONDER IF I KNEW I WAS… by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 05 Apr 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/i-wonder-if-i-knew-i-was-by-pennie-hunt

I was not raised in a wealthy family. I never noticed. We always had clothes to wear and food to eat. Our vacations revolved around road trips to see grandparents or a camping adventure. We were taught to be respectful, do chores, and not talk back. My siblings and I spent most of our days building roads in the sandbox, riding our bikes to the swimming pool, and squabbling as kids do. It was a simple time. A happy time.

I wonder if I knew I was happy when I was happy?

I was in 9th grade when I took my first plane trip. We went to my uncle’s funeral. I remember seeing him at the visitation and crying uncontrollably. It was my first experience with grief. It was a new feeling in my gut. It hurt in a new way. It was not like a skinned knee from a bicycle crash. It was a wound to my heart that I had never felt before.

I wonder if I knew I was grieving when I was grieving?

I have a photo of me when I was 22. I weighed 97 lbs. This was much less than my ‘normal’ thin weight. I was married and had a toddler and a newborn. I was not eating and crying a lot. Looking at this photo and remembering that time, it is obvious I was struggling with postpartum depression. I do not remember anyone asking me if I was ok, after all, everything in my world seemed perfect. Postpartum depression was not a term that was used back then.

Looking at the photo of this sad girl, I wonder if I knew I was depressed when I was depressed?

So many times in life, we rush through experiences, good and bad, with an oblivious heart. We don’t feel the moment for what it is. We glaze over the emotions we are feeling- until we look back.

Memories have a way of waking up past emotions. Looking at photographs, watching home videos, or bumping into an old friend can suck them right back to the surface in a new way.

When you run into an old flame, you might remember the break-up, but when you see them, you may also remember the happy times that the pain buried.

Watching those home videos of your childhood, you may be struck by the memories of how much you wanted to be a grown-up. How much you wanted your childhood to speed by so you could jump into life. You may also realize that this part of your life went by too fast and that you yearn for that time again. The simple time. The happy time.

Looking at old photos of you, you may be overwhelmed by feelings. The excitement of when you were a teenager playing high school sports. The thrill of wearing that tux or white dress, walking down the aisle to begin a new life, and wondering what the future would hold. Oh, how young you looked. The combination of love and fear that filled your heart in the photo of you holding your newborn. And the grief that pours from the photo of you holding your loved one’s hand as they passed.

There is nothing like a photo album to walk you through your life in an emotional way.
And with every photo, you wonder…if you knew then what you feel now.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Don’t rush life.
Feel the emotions that every moment gives.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

YOUR TURN...       Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. And please feel free to email me at:
PennieHunt@gmail.com.
Thank you!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013-2026 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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]]><![CDATA[THE LESSON I LEARNED FROM REALITY TELEVISION – The Cost of Judgement by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 29 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/the-lesson-i-learned-from-reality-television-the-cost-of-judgement-by-pennie-hunt

I am not a real fan of reality television. I will admit that in the last few years, I have sporadically watched a few. I haven’t watched the famous families or housewives. From the trailers, I always felt they were about drama and tearing people down.
The ones that I have watched are about building relationships. Sure, there is drama, and at times I question the reality of it- is it real or is it scripted, scheduled, and staged?

One show has the premise of ‘dating’ without seeing each other. The question is, do looks really matter? Can they fall in love with another human without seeing them? And then, when they do, will their looks matter and change the way they feel?

The second show is similar. Couples meet, but they don’t know each other's age. They get to know each other and build a relationship before they ever find that out. The age difference between couples ranged from 17 to 30 years. When that reality hits, will it matter? Will it change the way they feel about each other?

The combination of these two shows has me pondering. With all the arguing, disagreements, and issues in our world, what if...

What if we didn’t know what people looked like? What if we didn’t know their age? What if we didn’t know their beliefs, their past, their mistakes, their struggle, or their fears?

If we didn’t know these things about another person, would we build a better relationship? Would we see them differently? Would we see their hearts rather than their outward looks? Would age really matter? Could we look at a person as a person and not judge them?

Judgement is the real concept. The deeper concept. How many times have you judged someone by their looks before you even knew their name? And would their name cause more judgement?

Sometimes we judge people as being too young to have the experience required to know much about life. They are too young to pay attention to.

Sometimes we judge people as being too old to bother with. Too old to listen to. Too old to spend time with or learn from, after all, they are not up to date or up to speed on life anymore. They are dated, obsolete, and disposable.

Then add these to this list of judgements. We judge them on their past, where they grew up, what kind of house they live in, and their personal style of dress. We judge quickly and lock in our judgement. Is that fair?

Then we find out more about them, and we build more judgement. When we find out the mistakes they have made. Oh… they are divorced. Oh, they are a different religion. Oh, they went to rehab. Oh, oh, oh. We lock in our perception of what this means and lock in our judgement even further.

Should any of this matter? Depending on the situation, maybe some of it should. And some of it shouldn’t.

What if, for one week, you looked at people by looking at their hearts? Not their looks, their age, or their beliefs. Just look at their heart. Get to know their heart. Reach the spot where you realize that without the facts that create judgement, we are all the same. People. Just people. Can you, for even just one day, see the reality? See the person?

Pennie’s Life Lesson: The reality of life is that judgement clouds our view.

]]><![CDATA[THE MESSY MIDDLE OF YOUR MIND By Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/the-messy-middle-of-your-mind-by-pennie-hunt

Join me in an exercise. Sit or stand tall with a straight back. Put your arms in the air, stretching above your head. Now intertwine your fingers and bend your elbows a bit. Notice that your arms are forming a circle around your head.

The inside of this circle represents your life, your world, the universe you live in. Notice, there is only one thing you can physically see in your circle. That is your head… your mind.

Here is the problem. The space around your head, the space between your arms and your head, represents everything outside of your mind. The events in the world, the actions of others, the circumstances of life, and even the weather. You cannot control any of that. We worry about it. We give advice. We try to manipulate and maneuver a way to control everything.

We complain about situations in the world. We tell others how to live their lives and how they should act, think, and speak, according to our ideals. We become disillusioned, disappointed, and discouraged about events in our lives. Our minds stew in anger, worry, and fear.

Then we become frustrated that we are not changing things, and our self-talk kicks in at full speed. After all, we are not good enough, smart enough, or capable of fixing everything.

All of this causes us stress, tension, health issues, and more problems to worry about. It is a brutal loop of destruction.

There is only one thing in your circle that you can control – your mind. Your mind is the messy middle of your circle. The place where you imagine things that haven’t happened yet. The place where you exaggerate the things that have happened. The place where your self-talk sabotages everything you can control.

The only thing in your control is what your mind produces…your thinking, your thoughts, and your beliefs. It all begins in your mind and leads to your actions.

Here is the tricky part. Our mind wants us to believe that we can control the circle around our head. Our minds want us to believe that worrying and exaggerating help. It wants us to believe that we can fix everything for everyone in that circle. And then, and here is the messy part, our mind beats us up when we can’t. It is a crazy kind of mental mess.

Here is what I want you to think about. Look at yourself in the mirror with your arms circling your head. Take a good look at that circle of space around your mind. Then imagine looking deep inside your mind. It is like a computer filing everything you see, hear, touch, and taste. Everything you like or dislike. Everything you know and have learned in your lifetime. There are a million files open.

Remember, the only thing in your control is what you are thinking, your thoughts, your beliefs, and your actions. Close those files on what you can’t control. Close files about other people that are none of your business to worry about. Close the files of negative self-talk. It will take time. It will be difficult to release some files that you are used to having constantly open. But, for your health and happiness, close them.

Concentrate on controlling what you can. Be realistic. There will always be bad things happening in our world. If you can make a difference that matters, do it. If not, close the file and move on.

Control your thoughts. Keep them in a positive posture. Get your beliefs in order. Your values and beliefs should be something you measure your life by. Not other people’s lives, but your life. Only you can control you.

Your job is to keep the messy middle of your mind organized, calm, and at peace. When you do, your life will feel in control.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
The only thing in your control is what you are thinking,
your thoughts, your beliefs, and your actions.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[It Is ALL Temporary by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 15 Mar 2026 06:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/it-is-all-temporary-by-pennie-hunt

I was trapped. My eyes were tightly closed to protect them from the glass and debris. I tried a tiny squint, but all I could see was darkness. The strange silence was only interrupted by the sizzling of my car. The smells of antifreeze, oil, and gasoline mixed with the windshield fluid and the hot asphalt of the road.

I couldn’t move. I was physically and emotionally alone for what seemed to be forever. I thought death was an odd situation – if that was where I was.
Then I saw the light.

This was years ago, but I can recite second by second every thought, every feeling, and every minute of the hours that it took to cut my car apart, remove me, transport me by ambulance to the hospital, and endure hours of testing and fear.
When trauma hits, when life is difficult, when the world feels uncertain, it seems like it will never end. It will.

Everything is temporary.

We all go through difficult times of intense loss, transitions, and pressure. Some of the hardest times are the loss of a loved one, divorce, health issues, and financial stress.

The death of a spouse, child, or parent is statistically ranked as one of the most difficult experiences a person will go through. Grief and loss create a powerfully painful journey.

Transitions such as the loss of a job, bankruptcy, separation, or divorce cause major emotional stress and require regrouping and starting over.
A health crisis for you or someone you love can magnify the physical component of a stressful situation.

During any of these scenarios, the loss of control takes over. Being overwhelmed and stretched to your limit becomes your life. Temporarily.

Uncertainty flows through your veins. The fear of what the future will be financially, what your identity will look like, and where the rocky road is taking you, adds to the difficult times. Temporarily.

The withdrawing behavior of turtling away from the world and living in isolation may feel safe…temporarily.

Even during the most difficult of times, remember it is temporary. There will be light in your life again. Reach out to friends, family, and professional help. As hard as it is, try looking at the challenging time as a learning experience and an opportunity to grow. And focus on taking one moment, one day, one week at a time. Patience can be your friend during stressful situations.

That day, trapped in my car, hanging upside down by my seat belt, in the darkness, and engulfed by the smells I can’t forget, the pain and panic seemed permanent. Fear and uncertainty overwhelmed me. And then… a voice began yelling to me, the airbag that surrounded me was punctured from the outside, and I saw light.

When my car was dismantled, and I was lifted out by firemen and rescue workers, I felt the light of the sun and the heat of the hot summer day. Confined to a gurney by a neck brace and backboard, I was rolled down the hallway and once again squinted from the bright lights of the emergency room. After being in the darkness, light was comforting.

The recovery was slow and painful. I was forced to become very good at patience. I isolated for a while, but with the support of many medical professionals, family, and friends, that difficult time of my life was temporary.

Was my life forever changed? Yes, but it wasn’t over. I learned about myself. I grew. I changed, and I realized that there is light after darkness and everything is temporary.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Everything is temporary.
There is always a light after the darkness.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[FORGET WHO HURT YOU – Remember who loves you by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/forget-who-hurt-you-remember-who-loves-you-by-pennie-hunt

Who hurt you?

If I ask you that question, I predict you could list a few people and circumstances. You might go way back to when you were young and work your way through your life. You might think of the neighborhood kid who bullied you in first grade. The person you went to the Jr. High School dance with and never called again. The friend in college who stole your boyfriend and married him. The boss who didn’t give you the promotion you deserved. I am sure you are mentally creating your own list of people who have caused you pain.

Our brains tend to hold on to these hurtful memories. As the list grows, the hurt becomes deeper. The scab is pulled off… again and again.

Now, think about this. Who loved you? Who loves you now? Who made or makes you feel loved?

Our brains hold on to these memories too. My list would begin with the kindergarten teacher who always wore a white beaded necklace and gave hugs every morning. My grandmother, who taught me how to paint, decorate cakes, and understand life. My lifelong friend, who for years walked with me in the early mornings, and together we solved the problems of the world. My husband, my children, my parents, my siblings, my friends, my dogs… I could go on.

What would your list look like?

It may be very different than mine. Both of our lists would be individual to our lives. Hopefully, your second list will be much longer than the first one. But the first list may receive the most attention from our thoughts. More attention than it deserves.

We are given love and feel love every day. They can be tiny glimmers of care that zap our hearts, but our mind doesn’t record them as important. We glaze by them – but they matter. Think about the barista who decorated your coffee this morning with a milk foam heart. When your cat lies on your lap and vibrates a calming purr that goes right to your heart. When your toddler runs to you when you pick them up from daycare after a long workday.

We are also given moments of hurt and pain. These zap our hearts, and our mind grabs them, thinks about them, and stores them so we can pull them out and allow them to punch our hearts, and yes, the scab comes off… again and again.
What if, for one day, you could forget the hurt and pain of yesterday? What if you could forget who hurt you? And what if, for one day, you could remember who loved and loves you?

It is a mind shift. It’s heart-clearing and mind-cleansing. You remove the memories of hurt and allow space for memories and feelings of love to fill the opening.

Begin your day by standing in front of the mirror and saying to that beautiful reflection, “I will forget who hurt me yesterday and remember who loves me today.”
You may need to say it more than once. Then step outside to begin the day and feel the glorious sun on your face. Do you feel loved by the warmth?

With every step of your day, with every meeting, with every smile you receive, remind yourself that you feel loved. You may need to repeat your mirror talk throughout the day to keep your mind set on love.

When you concentrate more on who and how you are loved instead of who and how you have been hurt, your day will be very different. Continue this pattern, and your life will be very different.
Now let’s see that list… who loves you?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
I will forget who hurt me yesterday
and
remember who loves me today.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[LIVE IN YOUR OWN WORLD by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 01 Mar 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/live-in-your-own-world-by-pennie-hunt

Are you happy? Really happy?
Most people would initially say, yes. But after consideration, they may add a few qualifiers to their response. Like, I am pretty happy, but I will be really happy when… And then the requirements are added.

When I lose weight. When I get a better job. When I find the love of my life. When I buy a house. When. When. When.

When all of these requirements are lodged in your mind, it creates a life of conditional happiness. This state of conditional happiness is typically created because of comparison. We look at someone else’s life and compare it to our own. We want the house they have. We want the job and the income they have. We want the love they have. We want the physical beauty and health they have. We compare ourselves to them. We compare our happiness level to our perception of their happiness level.

Our happiness becomes conditional upon achieving what someone else has. In the process of constant comparison, happiness is blocked.

Here is a concept to think about. Live in your own world.

Did that sink in? We create our own conditional happiness by living in someone else’s world. We spend way too much time studying someone else’s life and not paying attention to our own. Yes, our neighbor may have purchased a new car last week. Yes, our friend may have a newer and bigger home than ours. Yes, our coworker may have lost weight and has a new wardrobe and a new love in her life. But why should any of that affect our happiness level?

It does because we create space in our mind for comparison to build. We live in a space of constant desire, anxiety, and frustration. Our mind’s rationale is this:
    If the thing they have seems bigger and better than the thing I have,
they must be happier than I am. Therefore, I must be less happy.

We are spending too much time in their lives and not living our own. What if the only house you knew about was your own? It would seem like a pretty nice place. What if the only car you knew about was yours, and it got you where you wanted to go- it would seem like a pretty nice car. What if the only life you knew about was yours? It would seem like a pretty nice life.

You would be unconditionally happy with your world because there would not be anything to compare it to.

So, the way to live in unconditional happiness is easy. Goals are good. Wanting to improve your life is great. But stop comparing your world to someone else’s. What is happening in someone else’s world is none of your business. Keep the qualifiers, requirements, and the whens out of your happiness. Keep your head, your thoughts, and your eyes on your life. Live and be happy in your own world.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
   Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Don’t wait for when.
  Live and be happy in your own world now.
  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[HOW MANY PILLOWS HAVE I FLUFFED? By Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/how-many-pillows-have-i-fluffed-by-pennie-hunt

HOW MANY PILLOWS HAVE I FLUFFED? By Pennie Hunt

I love pillows. I have them on every couch, every chair, and every bed in my home. I have seasonal pillows for fall, Christmas, and Easter. I have a variety of colors to change the mood of a room.

Do I have a pillow problem? I don’t think so. I just love pillows.

Years ago, a terrible car accident left me with neck and back pain. Now I require a small pillow for my lower back in my car for driving and in chairs where I sit for any period of time.

My biggest issue is finding the perfect pillow for sleeping.

I have tried the kind with chunks of foam that made me feel like I was sleeping on a foam pit in a trampoline park. I have purchased specialty pillows with ergonomically correct cutouts that contour around my neck. These pillows left me feeling like I was sleeping on a rock, and I use the word sleeping loosely... it was more like spending my nights in torture.

Feather pillows cause me to wake up with my nose so congested that I can’t breathe. I have tried horseshoe-shaped travel pillows and pillows with fancy names like clouds, ring, donut, and nuzzle. I have slept on foam, feathers, gel, memory, latex, down, and faux down.

My newest purchase was spurred by an advertisement stating that it would be like the best pillow in a 5-star hotel. I have slept well on some hotel pillows and found myself trying to decode the tag on the pillow to purchase one like it. Because of this, the advertisement caught my attention.

So far, it isn’t too bad. I will need several more nights connecting with the new pillow before I am ready to commit to saying it is the perfect one. When I score a pillow, I use several criteria. How much I toss and turn. How many times I must flip it over, fold it in half, and fluff it in the middle of the night. Neck pain and comfort are a high priority. And this may sound strange, but smell is a big thing for me. Maybe you haven’t noticed, but foam can have a distinct smell. If it has a strong foam smell the relationship with me and that pillow is over.

My linen closet is filled with an expensive number of pillows that didn’t work for me. I haven’t given up. My quest for the perfect bed partner is not over. I dream of resting my head gently into a perfect cloud of softness that cradles my neck and allows me to sleep in pain-free, dreamy comfort.

Are my expectations too high? I don’t think so. My perfect pillow is out there, and I will continue to fluff until the perfect one is found. I believe my persistence will lead me to the pillow of my dreams.

**Oh, and I am open to suggestions.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
  Never stop searching.
It is persistence in the pursuit that leads you to a solution.
(and me to the perfect pillow.)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[WHAT IS YOUR LOVE STORY? by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/what-is-your-love-story-by-pennie-hunt

My husband and I have been married for 15 years, and we were together 10 years before that. During this time, we have given each other many gifts, but the best gift may have been a tiny red glass heart.

We were well into our first ten years when I began struggling to think of what to give him. After all, it seemed he had everything he wanted, and if he saw something he liked, he bought it for himself. He is picky about clothes, he is not a jewelry guy, or a tool guy. I had bought him every book I could think of. The ideas for birthday, Christmas, and Valentine's gifts had run out. I was perplexed.

I was shopping in a sweet little store and saw the perfect gift. It was a tiny red glass heart. That is when I thought of it… I would give him my heart!

I purchased the tiny treasure and took it home. I covered it in sparkling tissue paper, placed it in a special box, wrapped it with gold foil paper, and topped it with a stunning bow. The packaging was glorious!

I wrote a note explaining that it was the perfect gift for the man who has everything. I was giving him my heart. I described how much I loved him and that I trusted him to care for it, protect it, and always keep my heart with him.

When he opened the gift, he was very touched. He held the tiny heart in his hand for the rest of the evening, and then he put it in his pocket. He said it would be safe there and it would always be with him.

Sometimes I test him and ask, “Do you have my heart?” He always reaches into his pocket and pulls it out. It is always with him. Well, except during a rough time before we were married, when we temporarily went our separate ways, and I took custody of the glass heart. We now refer to that period as the “hiatus,” which is a story for another column. As you can guess, we made it through that time, and he was once again given my heart to care for and love. He happily tucked it back in his pocket and has held it tightly ever since.

When we are with other people, he loves to tell the heart story (yes, he includes the hiatus details) and proudly pulls the heart from his pocket, holding it in the air, showing it to everyone. He allows others to look but not touch. It is special to him, and my heart is only for him to hold.

It is just a tiny red glass heart, but for both of us, the meaning behind it is bigger than any package could hold. It represents our commitment to each other, our love for each other, and our dedication to keep each other top of mind at all times. It is the precious symbol of our love story.

What is your love story?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
When someone gives you their heart, protect it, care for it,
and always keep it with you.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[THE BRAVER YOU ARE, THE BIGGER YOUR LIFE BECOMES by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/the-braver-you-are-the-bigger-your-life-becomes-by-pennie-hunt

The world has become an easy place to isolate from others. Groceries and food can be ordered with the touch of a button and dropped at your front door. Movies, sporting events, and concerts can be watched on a screen as you sit on your couch or lie in your bed. Jobs can be done remotely from a laptop and an occasional Zoom call. Doctor appointments and therapy sessions can be done online. Classes can be completed without ever walking into a classroom. Book clubs, dance lessons, shopping, and even dating can be experienced without interacting face-to-face with another person.

The world can become very small.

As some people age, their world becomes smaller. Their friend circle may shrink. They might not go out as much because of health issues. Their pace of life slows. This may be part of the normal transition of aging.

Some people retire and enjoy a smaller life. They are tired of the go-go-go of working and want their world smaller, softer, and quieter.

But some people don’t even notice that their world is shrinking. It becomes normal for them to stay inside the protective walls of their home. Not because they want to, it just happens slowly, their world becomes small, and they don’t know how to change it.

If you feel the walls closing in, ask yourself why. Why are you creating an environment of seclusion? Why are you isolating yourself from the world? Why don’t you enjoy leaving your home? Most importantly, why are you afraid?

Fear creates isolation. Fear makes your life small. Fear keeps you from having the life you want. The more you do from the confines of your home, the less you will want to leave. It becomes normal. The idea of leaving your safe space becomes frightening.

It may be time to flex your bravery muscle. Be brave enough to try new things. Be brave enough to meet new people. Be brave enough to apply for the job you really want. Be brave enough to go to an in-person book club, a real dance lesson, shop in a physical store, and meet someone face-to-face when you are dating.
The braver you are, the bigger your life becomes.

Let me say that again… the braver you are, the bigger your life becomes. The more you get out of your comfort zone and experience new things, the more your life expands. Your life contracts with fear and expands with courage.

So, ask yourself what you want. Do you want a small life and live in a small world? If so, that is okay. But if you are longing and looking for more, take a risk. Step out of the bubble you are living in and try something new. Go slow- one step at a time… reach out to a friend you haven’t seen in a while and go out to dinner.

Or if you are ready to take a leap, hit the road running. Join a new club, or two. Dust off your resume and start sending them out today! Make a plan of things you can try and experiences you want to have. Once you leave the space that fear has put you in and take the leap forward, you might meet someone new…and that someone may be the you that you were meant to be.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Fear keeps your life small.
The braver you are, the bigger your life becomes.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[USE YOUR INSIDE VOICE by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 01 Feb 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/use-your-inside-voice-by-pennie-hunt

Many years ago, I worked at an elementary school. One of my duties was to supervise the playground during recess. Other than the cold weather, I enjoyed being outside with the children. I loved watching them run, play, and yell at the top of their lungs.

When the bell rang and the children lined up at the school door, the other supervisors and I would remind them to switch to their inside voice as they walked into the school. We would quiet our own voices as we softly told them that it was time to return to a space of calm, quiet, and learning.

It has been a long time since I have told young children to quiet down, but I have never stopped using my own inside voice. My inside voice is the one I hear when I am calm, quiet, and ready to learn.

When I sit in the morning with my dogs on my lap and a cup of coffee, I hear it.

When I meditate with peaceful intention, I hear it.

When I walk in a forest or sit in the sand watching the ocean, I hear it.

It is the soft, quiet voice that comes from inside of me. The one that whispers messages, ideas, and inspiration. It is my inside voice, my inner voice, my truth that speaks.

We all have an inner voice, but many people don’t take the time or create the space to hear it.

If your life is moving too fast and the speed of your life is a bustle of noise, you won’t hear it.

If you do feel a twinge of knowing in the middle of your gut, but you ignore it, you won’t hear it.

If your negative self-talk is so loud and constant that it muffles the truth that your inner voice is trying to tell you. You won’t hear it.

The inside voice is not a loud flash in your face kind of message. It is soft. It is light. It can be a whisper of an idea that comes to you when you least expect it. It may be a feeling or a knowing that something is off in your life. It may be subtle messages telling you to follow a path different than the path you are on.

It can be persistent. If your inner knowing is trying to give you an important message, your inside voice will repeat the message until you listen. It may show up in different ways, all telling you the same message.

My inner voice has warned me of danger. It has given me visions of what my future could hold. It has given me time to reflect quietly about my life and the people I care about.

Try it. Give yourself the space and time to become calm, quiet, and ready to learn. Ask yourself questions. Pay attention. You just might say, “I hear it.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
When you are calm, quiet, and ready to learn, you will hear your inner voice.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[You are Not Responsible for Someone’s Dirty Laundry by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 25 Jan 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/you-are-not-responsible-for-someones-dirty-laundry-by-pennie-hunt

It is laundry day.
Towels, sheets, whites, and darks have been washed, rinsed, spun, and tumbled for the last few hours. It sounds like a lot, but this is minor compared to the laundry I did when I had three young kids in the house.

There were constant mountains of dirty laundry divided by color on the floor in front of the washer and dryer. I was always doing laundry.

Now, this is just my laundry. My husband does his own. I typically take care of the sheets, and whoever sees the necessity to wash towels does that load as needed.

When my mom was alive, she was appalled that I didn’t do my husband’s laundry. It was, in her mind, the wife’s job. We don’t see it that way. We both like different detergents, and he is picky about the temperature and speed at which his shirts are dried. Laundry is not my favorite chore, and he likes doing his own. We have been married for over 15 years and have always been responsible for our own dirty laundry. This works for us.

When you think about it, who wants to be responsible for other people’s dirty laundry? Oh, I did love folding tiny sleepers and cute baby clothes when my kids were infants, but that is where it stopped.

How many times in life do we carry the load of other people’s dirty laundry? We clean up their messes, fix their problems, and bail them out of unpleasant situations.
Let them be responsible for their own dirty laundry. They could divide their own problems into small piles and figure out the best solutions for each one. In the process, they will learn what works best for them.

They will learn that if they don’t take care of their own situations, they will drag around dirty laundry for the whole world to see. Dragging that bag of unfinished business is humiliating and makes others uncomfortable. No one wants to see your messes, mistakes, and problems. When a person learns that it is their responsibility and that no one else will fix it for them, they become problem solvers, self-confident, self-reliant, and accountable. No one else is responsible for their dirty laundry.

You might have an agreement in your home where one of you does the laundry and the other person does the yard work. That is called a partnership and planned equilibrium of chores. It is fair, structured, and works. Learning this balance of responsibility is part of growing, learning, and living life. It is when one person is the only clean-up person while the other person is creating the messes that dealing with all the dirty laundry becomes a problem.

Teach your kids while they are young how to separate clothes by color, the difference between hot and cold water washing, and the correct temperature to dry shirts. Teach them that their dirty laundry is their responsibility and no one else’s. And most importantly, teach them that this lesson is not just about laundry.

Now, it is time to fold my towels.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
No one else is responsible for your dirty laundry,
and you are not responsible for theirs.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[JOINED AT THE HEART – Carrying Grief and Love by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 18 Jan 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/joined-at-the-heart-carrying-grief-and-love-by-pennie-hunt

Painting of J.T. by Nancy Chappell

When everyone else’s memory has faded, mine remains in vivid color. This week of his birthday, he would have been 41. An age I will never see him at, but I remember him clearly at 22 and every age before that.

It has been 18 years, 4 months, and 2 days since he left. It has been 18 years, 4 months, and 2 days that I have carried this grief.

I carry other grief. The grief of my grandparents, parents, and friends. But those have softened and faded with time. His grief is different. Heavier. Stronger. Intense.
This grief has woven itself in, out, and around every vein, artery, muscle, and bone in my body. Its invasion manipulated the structure of me physically and mentally until it ever so slightly bumped into the design of my DNA, permanently changing the person I was into the person I am now.

I became fragile and fractured and yearned for the weakened part of me to be seen. Instead, I hid it under the mask and facade of strength. After this much time, people expect me to be over it, past it, and to let it go. When others grew tired of talking about him, I learned to be safe in my silence. To the outside world, my grief slowly became increasingly invisible as I buried it deeper and deeper into my heart.

This grief has an emotional durability that holds the capacity to control my tears and laughter at the sound of a song, the sight of a skateboard, or the memory of his laugh. Grief can show itself in uncharacteristic ways. On rare days, it has reached out as anger, sarcasm, moodiness, or extreme quiet.

In the quiet times of reflection, I feel the cool air of his presence and the comfort of knowing that he never left and that he has just changed.

My muscle memory pulls me back to feeling my arms cradling him in the middle of the night when he was a baby, and my fingers tickling his beard as a young man.

For all these years, I have walked on the top of a picket fence, balancing this grief with the rest of my life, understanding that by leaning too far one way will tumble me into the dark, dirty hole of despair, and leaning too far the other way throws me into forgetting him. The pain of my feet as they touch each pointed picket of the fence keeps me keenly aware of both sides while living my life in the middle, holding firmly to a space of love and gratitude.

Gratitude became my balancing rod, my life preserver, and my center of gravity. I realized I didn’t have to be grateful for everything that grief delivered to me - the pain, the nightmares, and the fear, will never receive a thank you. Grief moved through the cells of my body, clearing out what doesn’t matter and changing me into a person who appreciates what does.

I learned to be grateful for the gift of him in my life and for being his mom, even if it was for a short time. Gratitude leads me to small sparks of memories and the enjoyment of love in simple moments. Whenever my balance wavers, I hold tightly to my foundation of gratitude.

Science tells us that microchimerism is when a placenta implants in the uterus, and cells from the fetus may enter the mother’s body and vice versa. These cells are often found in the mother’s heart and lungs. This explains why I have always said my son and I were, and are, joined at the heart.

It is comforting to know that when his soul relocated to heaven, some of my DNA went with him, and some of his DNA stayed with me.

With every beat of my heart and with every breath I take, he is with me. Until the breath is my last, I will also quietly carry and honor the grief I have for him. And… if you ever want to talk about him with me… he is right here in the space he has held for 41 years - joined at my heart.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Grief and love never totally leave your body.
They stay forever joined at the heart.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[Be Ready for the Magic of Life by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 11 Jan 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/be-ready-for-the-magic-of-life-by-pennie-hunt

My dogs are very structured, schedule-driven, and predictable. They expect breakfast at 7 AM, followed by treats for doing their morning tricks, and a biscuit just because they are cute.

They want a snack at noon and dinner at 5 PM. And never forget that at 7:30 we must go downstairs to watch a little television.

Morning nap time is at 10 AM, and they sit in front of us and stare at exactly 8:30 PM, and want to go to bed. If we don’t notice, the slow whining begins.

This is like clockwork. Every. Day.

I know humans who are equally structured. They are on such a time routine that there is no leeway to do anything except stay on schedule. They never look up, and they don’t take a breath. When a predictable routine becomes a rut, you miss out on the joy of life.

If you don’t keep your mind open to change, your eyes open to possibilities, and your ears open to hearing new ideas, you will be stuck in the confines of your predictable routine.

Life can surprise us.

Have you ever bumped into someone in a serendipitous way, and they became an important part of your life’s relationships?

Have you ever been gifted a book- one that you would have never purchased for yourself- but when you read it, the learning became a tipping point in your life?

Have you ever overheard a conversation that felt like it was meant entirely for you, for your life, for your heart? When you took heed of the message, it changed everything.

We never know when a random meeting, an unintentional event, or a whispered message can change the path of our lives. If your life is so scheduled that you can’t deviate from the routine, you miss out. You miss out on the unknown possibilities that are the magic of life.

Uncertainty can be a frightening thing. We can fear the unknown. The shock of the unexpected can catch us off guard and throw off our balance. But that is where the magic lives. In the cracks between the predictable. In the light that breaks the darkness. And in the unknown, uncertainty of the unexpected.

When we pay attention, we see it. When we are aware that maybe, just maybe, that message was meant for you. Maybe that person was supposed to be standing in front of you at the grocery store. Maybe it was no accident that you read the book that started you on an unexpected path of change. Maybe the things you brush off as coincidences are part of a highly synchronized plan that is your true scheduled life routine. You just didn’t know it- until now.

We need schedules and structure, but leave room for the magic. Look up from your work. Breathe the fresh air. Say yes when you are invited to events. Be open to meeting new people and enjoy the excitement of change.

You never know how life will surprise you. Be ready for the magic.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Be open to the unknown, the unexpected, the uncertainty, and the magic of life.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

]]><![CDATA[Be Brave Enough to Begin Again by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/be-brave-enough-to-begin-again-by-pennie-hunt

Well, it has happened. We are into a new year. A new number. A new placeholder in life. You have probably spent a substantial amount of time in the last week or two reviewing, rehashing, and reliving what happened last year. What did you accomplish? What do you regret? What did you relish?

It is kind of funny when you think about it. Did anything really change overnight between the closing of one year and the opening of another? Things are not that much different. It is not like the magic glittery ball dropped and suddenly everything changed. It didn’t.

Most people look at the new year as a new beginning. A fresh start. We start at one and begin counting off hashmarks on the calendar again.

If last year was a difficult one for you, it may be hard to pull up the energy to begin again. You may be afraid that next year will be worse. Here is a thought for you… Every minute of our lives is an opportunity to begin again.

We look at every year as a new beginning, but every month can be a new beginning. Do you dread Mondays? Start looking at Monday as an opportunity for a new beginning. Every day is an opportunity for a new beginning.

In fact, every morning that we open our eyes and take that first conscious breath of air is a new beginning. And every breath we take after that throughout our day is a new beginning.

The only thing special about that glitter ball dropping is that the number on the calendar changes. But we are given the opportunity of “newness” with every breath we take. We have the opportunity to change our lives and ourselves at any given time. We don’t have to wait for a New Year's Resolution to create change. You can do it in any year, any month, or any day of the week. You decide when the moment is right.

It might be exciting to look at the blank slate of the future year and plan it out. Or your fear may keep you from trying anything new or making any positive changes. But here is my challenge to you… Be brave enough to begin again.

What have you tried that didn’t work out the way you wanted? What are you afraid to attempt? What changes do you want for yourself and your life? It doesn’t matter if you have tried and failed. Be brave enough to begin again.

Be brave enough to create change. Don’t wait for a shiny new year with a bigger number on the calendar. Begin any time you choose. Begin any month, any day, any morning, or with any breath.

Step outside. Take a deep breath in. Lock an intention into your heart. Fill your mind with the visual of what you want to change and believe that you have the power within you to accomplish it. Be brave enough to begin again!

Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Don’t wait for the perfect timing.
Be brave enough to begin again!

]]><![CDATA[My Hope, My Wish, My Word is SIMPLICITY by Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 28 Dec 2025 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/my-hope-my-wish-my-word-is-simplicity-by-pennie-hunt

You probably know by now that I do not make New Year’s Resolutions. I find resolutions difficult to keep. I feel like it sets me up for breaking promises to myself.

Instead of resolutions, this will be the 13th year I have picked a word for my year. A word that guides me in decision-making and keeps me on track. Not necessarily creating stringent rules around the word but keeping it top of mind for my year.
For the new year, my word will be simplicity.

Years ago, my friends, Steve Bahmer and Ron Rabou, wrote a book titled Keep It Simple. They asked me to read and review it before it went to print. I also wrote a testimonial for the back cover. Their concept is that life doesn’t have to be complicated for you to be successful. Just keep it simple.

As I was running words through my mind as contenders for the year 2026, I noticed their book on my shelf. The title caught my eye. I began thinking about how I could and should simplify things in my life. The word simplicity wouldn’t stop dancing in my mind and wouldn’t let go of my thoughts. So, simplicity won for word of the year!
Every year it takes a while to wrap my head around what my new word will mean in my life, but I believe there are many things I can simplify.

Easy things like organizing my weekly errands into one day and completing them in one trip instead of jumping in the car every day to sporadically do errands. Things like washing my car, filling it with gas, banking, etc., should be one quick trip.

Speaking of banking, making sure all the bills that are possible to set up as autopay through my bank are set up that way. This creates more space in my mind and less worry about bills being paid on time.

Things like laundry, cleaning, and chores around the house could also be condensed into one day that is planned just for those necessary tasks.

During the days of COVID, I became very used to ordering my groceries online and doing curbside pickups. I love the convenience of this and the time it saves me by not marching up and down every aisle in the store. What I do need to streamline and do a better job of is meal planning and making sure my shopping order reflects what I plan to cook that week. This will save those extra trips to the store. And along with that, every night doesn’t need to be an extravagant meal. Simple meals, simple ingredients, and the simplicity of cooking this way sounds lovely.

I could add an entire list of things under the title of my writing and speaking that I should create systems for that would simplify my work.

You may be realizing what I am as I write this… a main thread here is that it takes organization to simplify. I am hoping the more organized I am, the simpler my life will become.

My word this year isn’t a fancy word. Just minimal, clean, and easy. Simple. I am not going to stress and go overboard, but I do see areas in my life that could be more enjoyable if they are simplified.

So, there you go. If you want to share my word with me, think of your home, your job, your classes, or any area of your life that you could organize and streamline. Join me for a year when we, as my friends Steve and Ron, would say, Keep It Simple.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Simplifying organizes your life and eases stress.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

YOUR TURN...
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. And please feel free to email me at:
PennieHunt@gmail.com.
Thank you!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013-2025 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

]]><![CDATA[That Darn Norman Rockwell! By Pennie Hunt]]>Sun, 21 Dec 2025 07:00:00 GMThttp://www.penniehunt.com/blogwritings-from-the-corner-of-spirit-brave/that-darn-norman-rockwell-by-pennie-hunt

Let me be clear. I love, love, love Norman Rockwell. He was a fascinating man and an amazing artist. I have even been to his studio in Massachusetts. When you see his work in person, you can’t help but have admiration and respect for his talent.

His holiday paintings that depict the perfect families, dressed perfectly, with perfect smiles, enjoying the perfect meals, with the perfect amount of Christmas snow, and… well, you get the picture. Everything is perfect. And darn it, those are the scenarios we all strive for. We want our holiday gatherings to be perfect.

The truth is, none of us have a Norman Rockwell holiday. Even if it looks like it from the outside, none of us have that kind of perfection in our lives. Behind the painting, everyone holds some kind of pain.

Every year around the holidays, I think of people who are no longer at my holiday table. I think of the gifts I would give them if they were. I think of the memories of holidays when they were with us. I see the empty chairs where they would be sitting.

I try to switch it to concentrate on the good memories. I am grateful for the years we had together. And I look at all the chairs that are filled with people who are with me now. I am grateful for them. I also mix in a story or two about those who have passed, to honor them and allow them to remain a part of the festivities.

So many times, we can become sad, depressed, or angry when the Norman Rockwell paintings that we strive for don’t turn out that way in real life. The best advice I can give is to switch your thoughts to gratitude.

Maybe you are missing loved ones who have passed. Maybe you are missing loved ones who were unable to travel to be with you this holiday. Maybe your budget means there aren’t as many gifts as you wanted to give under the tree. Maybe you or someone you love is struggling with health issues. Maybe the turkey is dry, and there isn’t the perfect amount of Christmas snow.

But maybe it can still be a joyful holiday. Turn your mind to gratitude for the things you do have in your life this holiday. Be grateful for the people you do have in your life. Be grateful for the meal you have, no matter how simple it may be.

If you can’t find anything to be grateful for, start with the shoes on your feet and the peanut butter and jelly sandwich you had for lunch. Start with the basic things in life. The hot water in your morning shower. As you go through your day, say out loud every little thing you can think of to be grateful for.

If you are alone this holiday, find someone else who is alone and spend the day together. Just like we can always find someone who is happier, wealthier, and more successful than we are, we can always find someone who is lonelier than we are. Donate your time to a shelter or a soup kitchen. When you help others, you will feel gratitude from them, and you will feel good about giving the gift of your time to those in need.

When you turn to being grateful for what you have, it becomes easier to fill your heart with love and joy for the day. Even if it is not a Norman Rockwell day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Not every holiday is Norman Rockwell perfect.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

YOUR TURN...
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. And please feel free to email me at:
PennieHunt@gmail.com.
Thank you!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013-2025 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward and share this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

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