​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2026 Pennie Hunt
                             This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

I loaded my three children into the van, jumped in the driver’s seat, and drove away. Looking in my rear-view mirror, I saw her standing in the driveway, waving and crying. I was exhausted from moving and ready to drive to my new home and begin the task of unpacking and settling into a new world 45 miles away from my mom.

For years I had lived in the same community as my parents. Close enough to have Sunday dinners at her house and drop my kids off for her to watch when I​ did errands. I was only going to be 45 miles away. I didn’t think this move was tear​-worthy. But my mom waved and cried.

To be honest, I looked forward to it. At that time, 45 miles meant it would be a long-distance phone call. (If you don’t know what that means, ask someone who remembers when our phones were attached to the wall.) I looked forward to not answering a call from her 3 times a day and not having her stop to see me every day on her way home from work. Both could feel a bit smothering. I looked forward to being a bit more autonomous.

As I drove, another memory filled my mind. This was the same view I remembered of my grandmother standing in her driveway, waving and crying when my parents loaded my siblings and me into the Pontiac station wagon and we drove away. That was a 2-day, 1080-mile trip that we made once a year to Illinois to see her. The same goodbye scene happened every year. And every year, my grandmother stood in the driveway waving and crying.

This week was a new version of the same scene. My daughter’s family drove down the driveway on their way to their new home, 2 ½ hours away. I did my hugs and goodbyes and left their house a short while before they did. I couldn’t handle watching my 3 grandsons climb into their van and drive away. I couldn’t bear to be standing alone in the driveway waving and crying. I needed to cry alone.
​
I know the saying about how we are supposed to give our children (and grandchildren) roots and wings. Roots so they remember where they came from. The deep-seated knowing of family, values, and identity. The understanding of who they are. And wings to fly on their own with the freedom to explore the world. To be independent and have the courage to follow their dreams and pursue their goals. It is the circle of life.
 
I know my daughter’s family will be fine. My daughter and son-in-law will enjoy new opportunities. The boys will immerse themselves in a new school. They will all thrive and grow in their new community. 
 
Selfishly, I will miss them. I will miss dinners at my house. I’ll miss lunches and pedicures with my daughter. I’ll miss picking my grandchildren up from school, Saturday movies, and the occasional one-on-one dinner dates with them. I will miss the comfort of knowing they are 11 minutes away.
 
And today I understand how my grandmother felt. I understand how my mom felt. I understand their deep sadness, the empty feeling, and the immediate loneliness as they waved and cried. 
 
After I moved away from living close to my mom, I never moved back. Turns out I missed the Sunday dinners, her phone calls, and her stopping at my house after work. The circle of life is a hard loop to close. Yes, occasionally I will make the 2 ½ hour trip to see my daughter and grandsons, and they will do the same to see me, but it will never be the same. The circle has closed.

Some moments are worthy of tears. 
​
                                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                   Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                            The circle of life repeats itself.
                                            The circle can be hard to close.
                                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2026 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

It has been over 20 years since I gave any thought to fake flowers. You know, those artificial bundles of plastic that gave the illusion of a bouquet until you moved close enough to them to smell the plastic and see the rubber version of a rose.

At the time, I was the director of a statewide organization, which meant I drove around the state a lot. On one memorable trip, a staff member was traveling with me. She worked virtually from her home on the opposite side of the state from where our office was located.

Visiting people in her area, I commented on the plastic flowers planted in pots in front of many of the homes. My comment was something like, “Isn’t it funny how old ladies put out plastic flowers instead of real plants?” I did notice that she didn’t have a reply to that.

A few hours later, as we pulled into her driveway and walked up to her front door, pots of fake flowers greeted me. She saw my face and immediately began laughing. I was embarrassed and ashamed of my earlier comment.

She explained that given the short growing season and the unpredictability of the weather, the plastic flowers were a good alternative.

Now, all these years later, I am filling about half of my pots with artificial flowers. After many seasons of waiting until after Memorial Day to plant flowers only to see them freeze from late spring snow, shredded by summer hail, brutally beaten by raging wind, or eaten by the lovely little critters that call my property home, I finally understood. I surrendered.

I began seeing many social media posts with people demonstrating how they were filling their pots and flower beds with life-like artificial flowers. I took the leap and ordered some.

These aren’t the old plastic kind. These are soft, bendable, lifelike beauties.
The advertisement stated that these faux flowers look just like the real thing, adding natural beauty to your surroundings. They are made from high-quality silk and plastic materials for long-lasting beauty. UV-resistant, waterproof, and no fade, ensuring vibrant colors even under the sun's harsh rays.

Who could resist that? I was sold and ordered a few.

When they arrived, they were vacuum-packed into very tight bundles, making me wonder if I had been scammed into purchasing a ridiculously small, overpriced bouquet of nonsense. But once opened, they fluffed out and took over my entire dining room table. I was pleasantly surprised.

Now my flowers have bloomed. Half of my pots still hold real purple petunias and orange and yellow blends of marigolds. But half of them happily hold bouquets of artificial flowers.

My assessment so far is good. These pops of color around my home are not just low maintenance, they are almost no maintenance. I suspect I will occasionally give them a spray with the hose to wash off the dust the wind will surely blow onto them, but other than that, they are holding up to their advertised claims.

Have I become an old plastic flower lady? I don’t know… maybe I have just become realistic. It is hard to fight Mother Nature. I will let her do what she will and enjoy the occasional wildflowers she sends my way. I will also continue to plant my little garden box and cross my fingers that the vegetables will survive the weather.

But this summer I will enjoy my beautiful flowers. The live ones and the fake ones alike.
​                                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                   Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                   Don’t make assumptions about the way other people do things.
                                      There is more than one way to beauty. 
​                                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​YOUR TURN...        
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 © 2013-2026 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

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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