THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS
It happened in Kmart. It was one of those moments that I can never reproduce, but I will remember it forever as an opening point-- A moment that opened my heart, my understanding and my eyes to the power of forgiveness. “I blame you for nothing, I forgive you everything and I will always love you.” He looked shocked, confused and stunned as he stopped to look at me. “What?” I repeated with a little more importance on always, “I blame you for nothing, I forgive you everything and I will always love you.” This time the face of my grown child turned to a delicious mixture of relief, acceptance and love. He dropped the bundle of socks, toiletries and food that he was holding in his arms into the shopping cart. The hug was long, the tears honest and the meaning understood. This is how forgiveness works. I can easily forgive others for cutting in front of me in line, taking the parking spot I was clearly heading toward or for a snapping comment that I seem to be on the receiving end of. I assume they are having a difficult day. You never know what the bubble over their head is holding, what is going on in their life, or what hurt they carry. I am happy to report that I have successfully accomplished forgiveness with most people and circumstances in my life. The disclaimer here is that I am a soul in progress. My humanness allows for human emotions. I have tried countless forgiveness methods, such as: The Bury and Forget It Method; The If I Don’t Talk About It, It Didn't Happen Method; And the popular This Person Doesn't Deserve Forgiveness, So I Am Going To Lock Them In A Box, Put Them On A Shelf To Occasionally Take Down And Kick Them Method. Forgiveness is a life lesson I continually attempt to perfect. The forgiveness challenge for me has been with those who have harpooned my heart in a penetrating way. When I helped someone, cared for them and trusted them to hold my heart in friendship or love, only to have them rip it from my chest, pierce it and then hand it back to me. Is the expectation that I won’t feel the scar? Even more difficult is when a perceived injustice is done to someone I love. Is the expectation that I watch with no malice felt toward the offender? That day in the shopping isle the answer became a clear,YES. I came to understand that when you forgive, relief, acceptance and love become a two-way effort. My heart no longer carried the heavy weight of anger, betrayal and disappointment. I no longer had to continue the painful circle of picking the scab to feel it bleed and begin to heal, only to begin the picking again. When I felt the relief in me that day, the lightening of my spirit, and the release of the burden of carrying all those negative emotions, I realized that forgiving is a gift to myself. I emptied my heart of the dirty work of bitter resentment and opened more space for love. When he heard my words and dropped his bundle into the shopping cart he also dropped his fear, shame and regrets and opened more space in his heart to love and be loved. By forgiving, I am not condoning, excusing or pardoning another’s actions. I am not saying that in every circumstance I will forget or remove all awareness of the offense in an effort to reconcile a relationship. Some relationships are best left as a lesson in our past. I am suggesting we begin looking at things differently and open our vision to see that blaming, resenting and revenge do more harm to ourselves than to others. We are all learning from our humanness. We all make mistakes. We all feel shame. We all inflict hurt. None of us can say we haven’t wronged another. It’s time we start seeing the power of forgiveness. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Forgiveness is a gift that opens more space for love – in you and others.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to forgive. Let go of past hurts. Forgive others AND forgive yourself! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected]
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 NERVOUS OR EXCITED His little four year old body began shaking and he said, “Mommy, I am so nervous!” “Why are you nervous,” she said, “YOU love to go with Grandma?” “Oh, wait, I’m not nervous, I mean I am EXCITED!” he answered. How many times in life do we confuse nerves with excitement? Is it the painful tingling sensation of nerves we feel in our bodies? Or The butterflies of excitement and anticipation that tingles us to our core? Can you tell the difference between the two? Even worse, how many times do we allow nerves to steal our excitement? In an unattainable search for perfection, we allow festive occasions to turn into a check list of worries and what ifs. Life should be a grand adventure filled with fun and enthusiasm for what is ahead of us. Just as those butterflies begin to flutter in joy, fear creeps in disguised as nerves. We are afraid we will be late, miss a deadline, the wedding won’t be perfect and on and on. We visualize the worst outcomes. Outcomes that will rarely happen. And here is the bottom line – most of it we cannot control, anyway! Why not visualize the best? Visualize wonderful days, grand adventures, joyous occasions and happy endings. Be aware enough to understand the difference between nervousness and excitement! Allow EXCITEMENT to push out the nervous fear, so that you can enjoy life to its fullest! ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Understand the difference between Excitement and Nerves. Allow EXCITEMENT to push away the fear disguised as nerves.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to watch for the difference between excitment and nerves.... don't allow nerves to take away your excitment for life! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] 
THE SPACE BETWEEN
Have you ever thought about the space between? The space between the thought and saying it. The space between the idea and doing it. The space between the ring of a phone and saying hello. The space between the moment of opportunity and the miss. The space between is that sacred second of decision? That instant when you make a decision to do something – or not. Hawaii has a phenomenon known as the Green Flash. It is a blink-of-the-eye blaze of intense emerald green that occurs in the second that the sunsets on the horizon of the ocean. The mystical space between day and night. The Green Flash is just that – a flash that lasts a second, or maybe two. It isn’t visible with every sunset and because of the quickness of its presence it is easy to miss. We are given “the space between” many times in our days and our lives. When missed, we feel regret, remorse and sorrow. We fear we will never have the chance again to say the words, implement the idea, pick up the phone or grasp the opportunity. The space between often times is not something we can predict or create again. We don’t always get a do over, but we can hone our sense of understanding of the Green Flashes in our lives. Never allow closed eyes to stop you from seeing them and never allow fear to keep you from taking action. Use the space between. Use your sacred second to take a breath and… Put your thoughts into words and say them out loud. Take your idea from your mind to reality. Answer the call. Recognize the opportunity and jump when you see the opening. Don’t blink in that split second when the sun sets. Open your eyes and be ready for your Green Flash. Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Never allow closed eyes to stop you from seeing opportunities and never allow fear to keep you from taking action.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to watch for your sacred seconds of decision - don't miss a Green Flash in your life! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected]  Yes, this is me with two of my babies and another on the way- many years ago. SECRETS YOUR MOM NEVER TELLS YOU --ABOUT BEING A MOM At 19 I jumped in the front seat of the craziest, scariest most exhilarating roller coaster ride of my life. BAM! I Became A Mom! I was mature, smart and ready to take on the world. (Weren’t we all at 19?) Little did I know that being a mom would be the most rewarding, life changing, ride I would ever jump into. And jump I did, not once but four times. Everyone watched me do it. And no one warned me about what was ahead – the ups, the downs, the jerks, the curves and the whiplashing shocks. My own mother didn’t even hold up the “CAUTION PROCEED WITH CARE” sign! She never told me the BAM of Being A Mom was a life jolt. She never told me the secrets. She never told me that being a mom opens your heart to a love that you could never imagine. The birthing and cutting of a physical umbilical cord that attaches you human-to-human in no way cuts the invisible golden cords that attach you heart-to-heart. Their body may birth to the world an independent being, but a piece of this new soul is forever kept inside and connected to you. She never told me that being a mom makes you vulnerable in a way you have NEVER been before. You open yourself to being dropped to your knees by your child’s tears, broken hearts and disappointments. Their pain is your pain. She never told me that being a mom means you will never sleep again. Well, never the same way you slept prior to the BAM. You may be prepared for the first months of sleep deprivation caused by night diaper changes and bottles that will soon pass. What you aren’t ready for is the rest of your life sleeping with one ear half open to hear their cries from a nightmare, moans from a fever and footsteps as your teenager sneaks in the house passed curfew. What you don’t know is long after they have grown and moved out of your home you will sleep with a part of your heart open hoping they are safe, happy and loved. You will never sleep fully again. She never told me that being a mom is a 24 hour, 7 day a week, forever occupation. No vacation days, no sick leave and no quitting! Once you accept the position you are locked in heart, mind and soul – FOR LIFE! **She never even whispered that it is a job you will love with all of your heart – and somedays you won’t. On those days, you will peak at their sleeping faces and then wrap yourself in a cocoon of guilt and shame for allowing yourself to hate the job you love. She never told me that being a mom brings you trophy words like Pride, Joy and Happiness that you can hang on your wall in an expression of motherhood. It also brings you words like Anger, Hurt and Exhaustion that, in an attempt to hide your fear of inadequacy, you swallow and tuck in your belly hiding them so no one sees. She never told me that being a mom makes you strong enough to endure the unthinkable. You take on the risk of being told the baby you carry no longer has a heartbeat and you must be strong enough to walk out of the hospital carrying an empty blanket. You take on the risk of birthing, nurturing and loving your child for years and then receiving the phone call that they are gone. In both cases holding tightly to the golden cords that now reach to your angel child. She never told me that being a mom makes you understand that you will be joyous when your daughter is grown and has children of her own. You will watch through tears and laughter as she learns for herself, the unspoken secrets of being a mom. Looking back I would tell that naïve, 19 year old girl, who thought she knew it all, to jump. Jump with all the love, anticipation and joy she has because through all the ups and downs being a mom is the most amazing ride she will ever be on. And through it all she will learn the unspoken code of never saying out loud the secret lessons of Being A Mom. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Mom’s are the gentle holders of our hearts. Hold theirs in return.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to understand the ultimate love that goes in to being a MOM! Love yours today!!! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below . And please feel free to email me at: [email protected]. Thank you ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ All Rights Reserved Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt. Feel free to forward this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information. If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission please email: [email protected] |
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