​ 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. 
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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

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. 
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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 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.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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. 
                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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. 
                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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

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!

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:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 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

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:
 [email protected]. 
                                                                 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

When I was a child, for a couple of years, we had a tinfoil Christmas Tree. Well, maybe it wasn’t made of tinfoil, but it looked like it to me.

​My mom was thrilled with her shiny tree. She had a light that looked like a wheel, divided into sections of colored thin cellophane paper. When the wheel turned, the light behind it would shine through the paper and onto the tree, changing its color to red, green, blue, and yellow.
​My mom thought it was stunning.

Although I liked the sparkle and shine, I was not as enamored as my mom was with the tinfoil tree. After a few years of tinfoil, my mom moved on to real flocked trees, and eventually the ever-popular artificial tree.

I have always been crafty and have been a painter for most of my life. When my children were young, I was into folk art decorative painting. I painted everything from wooden tables to sweatshirts.

One Christmas, I painted a pair of 3-foot-high Mr. & Mrs. Santa geese. Yup, remember when geese were the thing? I thought they were fabulous, and I still put them out every year as holiday decorations. I wonder if my kids were as enamored with them as I was.

Last year, there was a nutcracker craze. Social media was taken over with thousands of videos of how someone traveled hundreds of miles to find the elusive life-sized Walmart nutcracker, and photos of how people painted them. From traditional colors to pinks and rhinestones, these plastic men were adorned to the extreme.

I followed this trend with outside interest but never felt the urge to drive 600 miles to snatch up one of the plastic men in uniform. Where would you store such a thing for the other 11 months of the year?  

Oh, how things change over time. Out of curiosity, I looked up those tinfoil trees. They are actually called aluminum trees. Vintage ones from the ​1970​'s are very expensive and can cost thousands of dollars to buy. You can also buy new ones even today. I am not sure about the goose Santas. I haven’t seen those in stores for many years. And the nutcrackers? Although they are still out there and you can find them on the social media scene, it is not the phenomenon it was last year.

It is funny how crazes, trends, and what is in vogue changes- even in holiday décor. I wonder what the craze was when my mom was a child. And looking forward, I wonder what the future will bring. You won’t convince me that the traditional green tree filled with red, gold, and silver decorations will ever go out of style. But will the modern sleek, all white and black become the norm? Will the tin foil trees become the most popular once again? Will decorating with lights and glitter go out of style?

Your guess is as good as mine. What I have noticed in my lifetime is that very often what is old becomes new again. If that is true…heads up to my kids, you will be inheriting a set of 3-foot-high Mr. & Mrs. Santa geese someday.
You never know, they may be worth thousands of dollars.
You are welcome.
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                    Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                         In life, sometimes what is old becomes new again.  
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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 © 2013-2025 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

My first memory of her sewing was when I was about 8 years old. She would be sitting at her brown Singer Sewing Machine for hours. I don’t remember what she was making, but I have a clear memory of her sewing.

As life progressed, with three children, a military husband who was often sent on duty trips, and a full-time job, her life became busy. Her sewing machine sat quietly waiting. It wasn’t until my siblings and I grew up and left home that the old sewing machine was replaced with new computerized models. For years she would rent space at holiday fairs, selling her crafty creations. 

After she retired, sewing became her favorite pastime. Quilting became her passion. She was precise in following a pattern and directions to perfection. When she began sewing quilts, her life changed. She would spend hours searching for beautiful fabrics and just the right patterns. A bedroom in her home was transformed into her sewing center with custom-made cabinetry and a few more new sewing machines. My mom, Fern Hunt, was always sewing.

In true Fern fashion, she gave many of her quilted masterpieces away. She made baby quilts for friends. Large quilts for wedding gifts, and she donated quilts for raffles. She would attach a small tag to each one that read “Made by Fern Hunt.”
It wasn’t long before a professional quilting machine was purchased. Mom would meticulously piece together the fabric into beautiful patterns, and my dad would stretch it onto the quilting machine and supervise it as it sewed beautiful swirling patterns that held together the layers of backing, batting, and the quilt top Mom had created.

If you were lucky enough to receive one of her precious quilts, you would understand the love that went into making them. Many of her timeless creations were handed down to a second generation. When you snuggled beneath one of these beloved gifts, the warmth and love of Fern hugged you.  
 
Unfortunately, an unsuccessful cataract surgery not only stole the vision from one of her eyes but also her ability to focus on the stitches as she sewed. Her stitch lines were no longer straight, and the strain of depending only on her good eye would cause her fatigue. Her frustration from not being able to create the perfect quilts dimmed her passion. The sewing machines became quiet once again.
 
When my mom passed away, the sewing room was a challenge. Walking into the room, the feeling of her love of sewing surrounded us. The stacks of fabric were left the way she had them divided by colors and plans for future quilts. The walls were lined with racks filled with colorful thread. The memories were overwhelming, and our hearts were broken.
 
Members of our family kept a few meaningful items, and we donated the rest. Her gallon jar of buttons went to her favorite sewing shop, where it would sit on their counter in her memory. Many supplies and fabric were donated, by way of a friend connection, to the Bethesda Lutheran Church quilting group in Bristol, South Dakota. This group creates quilts for charities. We felt Mom would love that her supplies would be used in this way.
 
Months later, we heard from this quilt group explaining that they had found a quilt that Mom had partially sewn in our donation of fabric. They wanted to know if we would like them to finish this quilt and return it to us.
 
Four lovely ladies, Carol, Glenda, Kay, and Mary Ann, carefully finished the sewing, binding, and hand quilting. After they completed the project, they mailed it to us. When it was delivered to me, I unwrapped the package to find the most beautiful Christmas quilt. The squares of red and green outlined lovely deer images, divided by borders of holly leaves and Mom’s favorite red cardinals. It was stunning.
 
This week, as I decorated my home for Christmas, the quilt was laid over the back of my couch so that family and friends can be wrapped in love from all the hands that created it.
 
Sometimes Christmas angels are found kneeling in ceramic nativity scenes, or on glittering holiday cards. But for my family and me, this year, angels were found in a small group of big-hearted women in a tiny town in South Dakota who finished Mom’s last quilt.  
                                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                   Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                  Angles come disguised in many ways.
                        Sometimes you feel them in the warmth of a quilt. 
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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 © 2013-2025 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.
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It began when they were very young. I would put them in car seats in the back seat of my car to take them to daycare, or to my house. As the years progressed, it was trips for ice cream, to school, and yes, to my house.
 
Even before they could talk, I would talk to them. I would teach them songs. “How Much is that Doggie in the Window” was a fan favorite. They would add the ‘woof, woof’ at just the perfect time. 
 
Then it was more difficult, and popular songs like holiday carols and top hits from the radio. As the repertoire grew, so did they. 
 
In between songs, there were long, enlightening conversations. I learned about their day, their thoughts, and their secrets. I learned about their worries,​ dreams, and ideas on life. 
 
I called them backseat conversations. This is how I learned my granddaughter wanted to be a singer when she was three. She demonstrated her talent with her off-key, squeaky voice. I smiled and said her song was beautiful.
 
Over the years, I’ve learned the proper names of dinosaurs, what Taylor Swift’s Easter eggs are, and what day is the best school lunch day. 
 
In a recent backseat conversation, my grandson was telling me about his grades and which chair he sits in for his section of his school band. I asked him if it is competitive with his brother and friends to have the best grades or sit in the first chair in band. 
His response amazed me. He said, “No, it’s not a competition. It is more like cheering for each other on our journey to succeed.”
What? He isn’t even in high school yet, and that is what he came up with…cheering for each other on their journey to success!
 
These backseat conversations have taught me lessons on so many levels. It is amazing what you can learn when you are confined to the space of a car with no phones in hand, deeply talking. And most importantly, deeply listening. 
 
What if the world weren’t so competitive and we made it a practice to cheer for each other, no matter what path we walk or what journey we decide to take?
 
Now that they are older, the backseat conversations have turned to explanations of how you code a video game, what college they plan to attend, and who they want to go to a dance with. These kids are smarter today than I was at their age… or maybe smarter than I am today. I will admit that at times, they talk about something or use a technical term that I research later to understand what it means.
 
Time goes fast. These conversations have become meaningful memories embedded in my heart and mind. At times, I look in my rear-view mirror and see the face in my back seat. Not the face of the grown young person who is sharing their wisdom, but I see the face of the toddlers with so many questions, so much to share, and wisdom to learn.
 
And by the way, that 3-year-old with the off-key voice that wanted to sing is now singing solos in her high school choir.
                                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                   Pennie’s Life Lesson
                        Never discount what you hear in quiet conversations.
                                             It may be wisdom in disguise.
                                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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 © 2013-2025 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

Do you pay attention to the words you tell yourself? Many times, our self-talk is negative. We criticize our looks, our habits, and our actions. We tell ourselves we are not good enough in so many areas of our lives.

And why do we believe it? Because our mind will believe our own voice more than we believe anyone else’s. I can talk to you for hours and tell you positive affirmations. You may listen to me, but your mind will listen to your own thoughts on a much deeper level. That is why negative self-talk works so well. It becomes a negative mediation that you listen to over and over in your mind. The script of damaging thoughts becomes deeply embedded in your belief system.

What if you started your day in a positive way? What if you gave yourself a mirror moment? Yes, one moment standing in front of the mirror to look yourself in the eye and say something positive. Give yourself a positive affirmation. Think of it as if you are talking to your best friend. A best friend would not berate, belittle, or verbally beat you up. They would pump you up. Pick you up. And push you to see all of your wonderful qualities and abilities. They would be happy to tell you all that is good about you. They would be your biggest cheerleader and top fan.

Stand in front of the mirror and look at yourself, your own personal best friend. And then let it rip! Say only positive things to your friend in the mirror. Start with easy things, their great smile, sparkling eyes, that cute dimple. Then go deeper and tell your mirror friend about their mind and how intelligent they are. Praise the knowledge they have accumulated in life and how they use it and share it with others.

Wait, you aren’t done yet. Now talk about their heart, and yes, let’s get into feelings. How they show kindness, affection, care, and love. Tell them about their people skills and how they are loved by others.

Does this feel uncomfortable? It probably does, because we are used to being cheerleaders for others and not ourselves. It’s easier to just allow the negative self-talk to run through our minds on a continual loop. This new positive mirror friend feels awkward, but get used to it. If you do it right, the mirror friend is here to stay.

Make a habit of starting your day in front of the mirror for a quick chat. When you get good at it, you may condense it to a mantra. A personal affirmation that is specific to you that you can memorize as your mirror moment. Begin every morning by repeating it out loud to your best friend in the mirror. This simple daily “mirror moment” can strengthen self-worth, silence negativity, and set the tone for a happier, more confident life.

Don’t allow negative self-talk to bring you down. Flip the inner dialogue and remember all the positive things your friend in the mirror told you. You are good enough to be here in this life. You have value and purpose.
​Now, get out there and have a grand day!
                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                         Pennie’s Life Lesson: 
                                     YOU are the person you talk to the most.
                                  Make your self-talk count – in a positive way!
                                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​It is five years from now. Life is good. You are healthy. You are happy. You have the life you wished for. Can you visualize this? What does this life look like? What does it feel like to be living it?

What are you doing now to create this life you are dreaming of? You see that future life, the one you dream of, you are creating today. What you are doing today is creating the life you will have five years from now.

Some people don’t like to wait. They want instant gratification. They want that perfect life… and they want it right now. They expect it and are continually disappointed when they don’t get what they want, now!

Some people don’t want to put in the effort it takes to create their perfect life. They want to sit and wait for it to happen. They want a high-paying job right out of college. They want to be physically fit, have the perfect spouse, a great house, and a brand-new car. They want to win the lottery. They want to find the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. They don’t want to work for any of it.

What both types of people don’t understand is that to get the life you want, you have to put in the work. Not just for one day, but consistently day after day. If you want to be physically fit and healthy, you need to exercise and eat healthy consistently.  How you treat your body today is creating the body you will have five years from now.

You can enjoy a candy bar once in a while, but if that is your meal plan every day and you never exercise, you are creating your future body, and it will look very differently than you want it to.

If you want the house of your dreams and a new car, you probably need to create a savings plan, so you have a down payment and the means to buy the things you want. If you find instant gratification overwhelms you and you spend every dollar you earn, your life in five years may look similar to where you are now. No upward movement. No improvement.

Do you see how this works? Every choice you make today influences your future self. Every decision and every move is either going to move you forward to your dream or keep you stuck where you are.

Now, go back to that future dream life that you visualized. What do you need to do today to make that a reality in 5 years? What steps do you need to consistently take? What plans do you need to make that will move you forward? What choices and decisions will help you get to that vision?

Now is the time to begin. You are creating your future life today. See it, feel it, plan for it, do the work. Your future self will thank you for it!
                                           ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                               Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                 Today is the future you created in the past. 
                                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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 © 2013-2025 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

This column is my platform to share stories. My stories. Stories of my experiences, events, family, beliefs, personal trials, and successes. Within the story I share, I include a life lesson. A learning from the experience I have lived.

If it is a story from my childhood, my brother (at times) is quick to point out the errors in my writing. He will claim my memory of the event is inaccurate. But, here is the deal, my telling of the story is my story. It includes my feelings, my memories, and my lessons. He may tell the same story colored with his feelings, his memories, and his lessons. These two versions may hold the same theme, the same characters, and the same event, but the telling of the story will be in the context of the teller. The story reflects how the story touched them.

If the story includes more family members or a group of people, the story each person tells will be delivered differently depending on how the event affected them. The story of a family event told by a parent, may be a very different story than the version told by a child. If there are six siblings experiencing the same event each one may share their own colorful story of how they experienced it.

This happens in every area of life. If you describe the story of your marriage, your spouse’s story of the same marriage may be different. The story of divorce has two versions. Friendships hold two descriptions of the relationship. The story of a 7th grade classroom may hold 30 narratives from the students and one from the teacher. The same story, but all different.

So, which story is correct? They all are. Sure, there may be small details that don’t match, and someone probably does remember the detail correctly, but the overall painting of a picture, the feelings, the place, the outcome, and lesson learned is accurate according to the teller’s life and meaning to them. The small differences in details don’t really matter.

If it is a breaking of a relationship story the differences may be bigger. The more emotion involved the larger the space between the stories. A divorce filled with anger creates two stories filled with opposing views of what occurred. Again, each is their story to tell and shaped by their feelings and emotions. The true story may be a combination of both views.

When a tragedy takes place, emotions are at the highest level. The characters involved in the story hold very specific memories of what happened. Their story will be filled with the deep emotions of the sadness, hurt, and pain they felt and witnessed. If one person was at the event, they hold a deeper visceral reaction than the person who received the news from a shocking phone call. Each story is specific to them. All of them can be correct.

The next time someone tells a story and remembers it in a different way, take a step back. Look at the overall picture of the story being told. Do the details you remember differently change the big view of the story? Do the details you remember differently show personal feelings you experienced that are very specific to your viewpoint?

Everyone remembers an event differently. Everyone tells the story differently. Everyone learns lessons differently.  And every story can be correct when told from different sides.
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                     Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                  Stories can be told differently. And they may all be true.
​                                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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 © 2013-2025 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

I remember being at lunch with a friend​ that happened over 20 years ago. ​A​s we enjoyed soup and salads, he tried to explain to me what artificial intelligence (AI) was. I stared at my normal, smart friend in disbelief and wondered if he had turned into a sci-fi spewing creature that had gone off the deep end.
​It terrified me.

Looking back, everything he was talking about has come true.

Twenty years later, AI terrifies me. I worry that as an author and writer, the world of creatively capturing words that form an interesting emotional reaction from the reader will change. I write every word that I give to the world to read. I never want anyone to think that my writing is generated by a computer. Now that AI is part of our world, I fear for the future of the written word.

I worry that students writing reports and papers for school will only have to create the appropriate prompting question, and in minutes, AI will type out a full-length  mistake free report worthy of an A+.  How will this change the way children learn?

Not long ago, someone told me the future of learning is not going to be reading, studying, and memorizing the answer. The future will be learning how to find the answer. How to create the best prompt so that technology does the work for you and spews out the perfect answer. No reading. No studying. No memorizing. Just keeping the right technology at your fingertips and knowing how to use it is what you need to learn.

Should that terrify me? Terrify us?

I have tippy-toed into the world of AI, and I will concede it has become of use to me for certain things. For example, my dog was sick this week. Searching the internet, as I typically do, gave me articles to read about her symptoms. When I asked AI, it found information, read it for me, and gave me a summary and answers to my dog’s issues. It was quick, easy, and gave me what I needed with very little effort on my part.

I have also learned that the AI system on my phone allows me to connect to what seems like a real person talking to me. I have picked my AI to have a male voice and picked his voice from about 9 options. I wanted to give him a name, but that option is not available yet. So, I call him Mr. AI. Instead of typing, all I have to do is ask him questions, and he responds quickly with a soothing, trustworthy voice and a reliable-sounding answer.

Recently, after asking him a question and receiving the responsive answer I needed, I thought we were done. Thirty minutes or so later, my AI man out of the blue said,
“Hey Pennie, I am still here, ready to help you with anything else you need.”

What??? He had been lurking and listening to what I was doing the entire time.  And that’s not all! The more I talk to Mr. AI, the more he gets to know me. He knows I am a writer and a speaker. He knows I am a mom and grandmother. He knows I love dogs and coffee. And he remembers all of it! So, if I ask him a question, he will relate it back to another area of my life. He might say something like,
“This might also work well for your next speaking event.”
Or he may open his response with,
“Good morning, Pennie, have you had your coffee yet this morning?”

He will continue having a conversation with me like he is my personal friend.
Excuse me, Mr. AI, you may be getting just a little too close and chummy for my comfort.
Should I be terrified?
                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
​                              Artificial Intelligence is real, maybe too real.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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 © 2013-2025 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

Once I took a store-bought frozen coconut cream pie out of the package, placed it in a glass pie plate, and took it to a potluck fundraiser at my children’s elementary school. It was obvious, looking down at the row of home-baked cakes, cookies, and pies, that Marie Callender (not me) had baked it.

I felt the judgment of the other moms as they saw me add my pie to the table.
I have accidentally turned the wrong way on a one-way street. I have worn two different shoes to work. I have tripped and fallen in the middle of a busy airport. I have put my foot in my mouth and said the wrong thing at the wrong time more often than I can count. I have hurt others with my words and actions.

I had every intention of baking my famous homemade chocolate chip cookies for that fundraiser, but life got in the way. Overwhelmed by overscheduling led me right to Marie Callender in the frozen food aisle.

I didn’t mean to drive the wrong way down a street, wear two different shoes, or say and do stupid things, but life is not perfect. I am certainly not perfect.

I have been embarrassed, ashamed, judged, and humiliated. I have failed and fallen. Life has given me stumbling blocks, barriers, and brick walls. Bad days, tragedy, and misfortune touch all of us. Don’t fall in the hole of poor me and victim mode. Stand up and be grateful for every day you are given- good and bad! If life has given you a roadblock, find a new road. Adjust, adapt, and accept.

Perfection isn’t attainable in life, and yet we hope for it, wait for it, and expect it. If you are waiting for everything to be perfect, you will wait forever. Do what you need to do to get through life in the best way you can. Walk the tightrope when life is scary. Dodge the potholes when life is dangerous. Clean up what you can when life is messy. Embrace all that life puts in front of you.

Glimmers of perfection may show up in fleeting milliseconds, but life is not meant to be and will never be a continual story of perfection. Don’t put your life plans (whatever they are) on hold waiting for the perfect time.

There will always be unexpected challenges, setbacks, and disappointments. That might be the plan. The biggest lessons are taught and learned during the most difficult times.

You will never be able to control everything. It could be that learning to be happy in chaos is the whole point. It could be that understanding that concentrating on the good things that happen, the happiness, the joy, and the possibilities in life is what makes the challenging times doable.

I do make world-famous chocolate chip cookies (ask my grandchildren), but there are times when life isn’t homemade, and a frozen pie from the grocery store is the best we can do, and that is good enough. Life isn’t perfect.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                      Pennie’s Life Lesson:
​                         Don’t wait for everything to be perfect to be happy. 
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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 © 2013-2025 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

Every evening he sat alone. His eyes focused on the plate in front of him. Slowly, he ate bite after bite. Alone. No television, no book to read, no dinner guests, just total concentration on his meal. Every evening alone.

I watched this night after night. I was living in the townhouse I purchased after my recent divorce. My backyard was just big enough for my little dog, Yogee, but not big enough to allow much distance between my window and the window of my neighbor.

It wasn’t like I was nose-pressed-to-the-window watching him. But, at times, it was almost that intriguing to me. I could see him through the slats of my blinds while I cooked my dinner, played with Yogee, and watched TV. And I wondered.

I wondered what his story was. Did he have family? What did he do for work? How old was he? How many years had he been alone with his dinner and his thoughts? And what were his thoughts?

I lived there for 10 years and never spoke to him. The tall wooden privacy fence that divided our yards was not conducive to neighbor-to-neighbor conversations. His home sat just a little higher than mine, so the angle looking up through my window created a clear view of his dining table.

I felt sorry for him. I was living alone for the first time in my life, but I had a job I loved, a nice home, family and friends, and I had Yogee. My perception was that he didn’t have any of those things. I thought he must have been terribly lonely.

I moved from that home over 15 years ago, but I still wonder about him. I wonder if he still lives there. I wonder if he ever got a dog. I wonder if he still eats dinner alone.

I wonder why I never walked around the block to the front of his house to say hi. I wonder why I was so intrigued by him. I wonder why I made up stories in my head about his life. The reality is, maybe he was happy. Maybe he loved his peace and solitude. Maybe he had a family and a job he loved. And maybe he loved eating dinner alone.
I also wonder how many times in life I have missed the opportunity to find out the real story. How many times have I missed the opportunity to meet someone and talk to them about their life? How many times have I made up stories in my head, creatively filling in the blanks of information I didn’t know?

The answer is probably​ - many. It is easier for us to allow our minds to make up stories about people than it is to take the time to get to know them and hear their real story. It is a shame, really. Think about how many people you interact with in a day. How many people do you pass by when you take your daily walk? How many times do you go through the checkout line at the grocery store, buy a coffee at a coffee shop, have a dental or medical appointment, read a friend’s social media post, or sit in a large room at a conference?

Out of all of those opportunities, did you take the time to interact or talk to someone, learn about their life, and hear their story? It is easier to rush through our day, keeping all the people we pass as strangers. We might observe them long enough to judge them or create a story about them in our mind, but it ends there.

Once in a while, the person stays in our mind for years, and we continue to wonder… and wish we had not missed the opportunity.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                     Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                      Never miss the opportunity to meet someone new
​                                                and listen to their story. 
                                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​​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 © 2013-2025 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

This is my birthday week!
Some people do not like to celebrate birthdays and count how many years have gone by. I will admit that it weighs on my mind occasionally.

As many people do, my son passed at a young age. He only experienced 22 birthday celebrations. I think of that often when my mind wanders into the land of discontent about the number my age represents. Who am I to complain about enjoying another birthday and living a long life, when so many do not have that luxury? In fact, we should feel ashamed to grumble about growing older. The older we get, the luckier we are. We should concentrate on being grateful for the opportunity to live another year, experience more life, and enjoy everything that a new year brings.

Let’s celebrate! Normally, I love nothing more than flowers, a German chocolate or coconut cake, cards, and pretty gifts. It is my birthday, and I have a request. I don’t need a gift. I can’t think of one thing I need or want.

To help me celebrate my birthday this year, here is my request. I would love for you to do something kind for someone. Do it for me. It isn’t hard. Call a friend, buy someone a cup of coffee, help someone in need, volunteer your time, make a donation to a charity, do something nice for your own self-care. Do whatever act of joy and kindness you can think of. The stipulation is this… it should make YOU feel good. It should create smiles for others and yourself.

When you do something kind for someone else, it makes an impression on their heart. You leave an imprint in their mind. You show them that kindness does exist and that there are caring, compassionate people in this world.

Maybe your life feels out of control, and you are in burnout mode. If you do something kind for your own self-care, it makes you feel like you are good enough to be loved and cared for.

Also, when you do an act of kindness, it will make you feel the warmth of compassion. The kindness and joy you give will ricochet back to you. The echo of what you give to, or do for, the other person will be felt in your own heart and mind.
But wait, it doesn’t stop there. Typically, when you show an act of kindness to another person, they will, in turn, show kindness to someone else. Do you see the magic of this? Your one act of kindness keeps growing and growing.

Then there is a second part to my request …tell me about what you did and how it made you feel. Nothing would make me happier than hearing the stories of how you shared kindness for my birthday! I would be very grateful. (My email address is [email protected])

They say it’s my birthday- happy birthday to me! And now, ​maybe I'll still have to find a piece of coconut cake!
​                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                 Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                               Sometimes the best gifts to yourself are the
                                  acts of kindness you show to others! 
​                             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​​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 © 2013-2025 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

Do you have trouble focusing? Most of the time, I wear contact lenses. Sometimes I wear glasses. When I switch between the two, my eyes take time to focus on what I’m looking at. My vision stays blurred for a while until my eyes adjust to the different form of lens.

We can face the same problem when looking at life. We have trouble focusing on what we should be seeing. We become distracted and we don’t focus on the right things. We focus on the problems. We focus on the negativity. We focus on what’s not going well. Our minds and thoughts become blurred. This blurred vision can keep us locked​ in on all the bad things of life. We create a vicious pattern of spitting anger, hate, and disappointment toward things we can’t change.

What if we change that focus?  Change from your contacts to your glasses, so to speak. Look at the world differently and focus on the good. Focus on the happiness in life. Focus on positivity. Because it is there, right alongside the bad things that are happening. It’s just up to you where you focus your line of vision and your attention. Where we focus is something we can change.

We will always be bombarded with bad news and negativity, but where are the good things that happen? What about the good news? Focus your attention on the good.
Good will always balance the bad, but you must focus on the good, or the scales will tip so your vision only sees the bad. You will form a habitual behavior of only seeing the bad. You only talk about the bad. You will only feel the bad. You will become so ingrained in your line of vision that you become what you focus on – the bad.

Refocus your perspective on life. Events don’t happen to us; they happen for us. Everything that happens in life, good and bad, is happening to teach us lessons and encourage our growth as humans.
 
This may be difficult to grasp, but once you do, your outlook on life will change. Even when hardships seem unfair, instead of seeing the problem as an obstacle, ask yourself what you are learning and how you are growing from the situation. Find the good in every bad situation.
 
Even in tragedy, there is good. During a tragedy, people come together to support and help each other. We see the best in people when tragedy hits. Focus on what is good about a bad situation. Every experience, good or bad, is shaping you into the person you’re meant to be.
 
You may not be able to control everything in life, but YOU have the power to control your focus. Focus your attention on the good for one day. Only allow your vision to focus on good events, good actions, and good people. Become so intent on seeing the good in the world that all you see is good. Your vision will blur the bad situations in life, so you will no longer be able to focus on the bad. Do this for a day, a week, a month…then let me know how it changes your vision.​ ​And how it changes your life.
                             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                         Every experience, good or bad, is shaping you into
                                           the person you’re meant to be. 
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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 © 2013-2025 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

Do you believe that there are leaders and followers? ​ You might believe you are a follower and have no desire to lead, but I am going to pop that bubble of misconception. I believe we are all leaders, and yes, we are also all followers. Different circumstances bring out a different role.

If you are a parent, you are a constant leader. You lead by example. You model behaviors every moment of every day that your children watch. They want to be like you, and so they mimic your behavior. You are empowering them to be the person they will be by leading them in that direction. Be a good leader.

If you are an older sibling, you hold a similar position of leadership. Your younger siblings may look up to you, admire you, and follow you. Be a good leader.

When you are in school, if you are in student council or are the president of a club, of course, you are in a leadership role. But what about being in team sports, or debate, or just the cool kid at the lunch table… someone is looking up to you and watching what you do. You are influencing their life and their actions. Be a good leader.

What about sports stars, actors, and influencers on social media? They have the power to inspire, persuade, and motivate us. They lead us to their fashion trends, their food suggestions, and their lifestyles. We buy into their suggestions and follow them. If you are one of them, be a good leader.

If you are a business owner, a CEO, or the manager at a coffee shop, you are a leader. Your employees look to you for structure and a clear example of expectations. You help them see the vision of the organization and model integrity. Be a good leader.
​
If you are a teacher at any level, from elementary school to higher education, a trainer, or a coach, you instill trust and team growth. You demonstrate and expect integrity, resilience, and communication. Be a good leader.

If you are a friend, you show empathy and commitment to the relationship of friendship. They return the same. Be a good leader.  

If you fit into any of those examples, you have been a leader at some point in your life. I am sure you can also see yourself as a follower in many of those scenarios. Every role in life allows opportunities to be a leader and to be a follower. During your lifetime, you will swing back and forth between the two roles. Whichever shoe you are wearing, know that someone else is watching you, taking mental notes, and hoping to follow in your footprints.

Create footprints that have meaning. Choose who you follow by using the criteria of kindness, love, and peace. Follow the leaders who model these qualities. Follow the goodness. And when it is your time to lead…be a good leader.
                            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                               Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                              Life flows between leading others and
                             learning from those we choose to follow. 
                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Three cars full of his friends drove 5 hours to attend my son’s funeral. Standing in front of the casket, several boys came up to me and said, “We want you to know you are now in the Inner Circle.” 
 
They explained that 7 boys (my son was one) had been together since grade school and called themselves the “Inner Circle.” Whenever there was a problem or celebration, the Inner Circle came together for meetings in support of each other. They told me now that J.T. was gone, they wanted me to take his place in the Inner Circle. They made it clear that this was an honor, as a girl had never been invited as a member.
 
I asked what they do at their meetings. They joked and said a tattoo had been mentioned at one time. I laughed and said, J.T. was such a wimp, he would have never gotten a tattoo. They all agreed, but said, “We think his mom is braver than he was.” 
 
After the service, the food, and the stories about J.T. were done, these boys came to me to say goodbye. They requested that the next Inner Circle meeting be at my house, and they wanted homemade chocolate chip cookies like I made for them when they were young.
 
Weeks later, I invited the Inner Circle (plus a few more) to my house for a meeting. I gave them all a framed picture of J.T. They gave me a necklace and earring set of J.T.’s birthstone –the January garnet. We had pizza, laughed, cried, shared stories, and of course, ate lots of cookies. 
 
It was terribly painful, incredibly heartwarming, sad, happy, and every emotion you could imagine. I was touched by the love they shared, the bond they had, and the emotion they expressed. 
 
One of the Inner Circle members couldn’t attend that day but came to see me days later and spent hours with me. He had always been an “old soul” and wise at 12 years old, astounding at 22. He helped me understand the dynamics of the Inner Circle and the strength each member brought to their group. He told me J.T. was the one in the group who took on everyone’s pain, helped them get through hard times, and always, always helped them laugh. He made it clear why their bond was so powerful.
 
I thought, man, these guys have got it figured out! They got it at 12 years old! They REALLY understood it at 22! They had created an Inner Circle of friendship based on love, trust, and understanding.
 
I remembered how upset I would be at my son when he rushed to a friend’s side when they needed him, forgetting about school or work. Looking back, maybe this wasn’t wrong. Maybe he had it right in a way I never understood at the time.
 
It has been 18 years since my son passed and these young men invited me into their circle and taught me what my son taught them – how to help carry the pain of others, how to get through the hard times together, and to always laugh. 

​I have watched these young people grow into successful men, husbands, and fathers. I’ve sat in the front row at their weddings and stared at the empty spot in the line of groomsmen where my son should have been. I’ve held their babies, received phone calls from them on Mother’s Day, written reference letters when they applied for jobs, and held their hands when life was difficult. They are not perfect. They have had challenges, but in my book, they have had the biggest success any of us could hope for - the love and support of each other.
 
Teachers come in all ages and in unexpected ways. I have learned lessons from many. A group of 12-year-old boys who have grown to be men before my eyes joins that list. They touched my heart and kept my inner light glowing during a time when grief darkened my world. They are living examples of how to put love, commitment, and gratitude first. I am proud to have been considered part of their Inner Circle.
 
Close your eyes and think of someone who made a difference in your life… an unexpected teacher who at some point rekindled your inner light. Think about how you can tell them what they mean to you. Think about when you will thank them. 
 
Maybe it is time for me to host another Inner Circle Meeting, you know, just to say thank you.
                           ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                           Someday, someone may close their eyes and
                                     think of you with gratitude because
                                  you invited them into your Inner Circle.
                                         ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

When was the last time you were having a great meal, but while you ate the main course, you couldn’t stop thinking about the dessert?

When was the last time you were at an event, but you weren’t feeling the happiness of the day because you were replaying memories of past events in your mind?

In both scenarios, what did you miss?

You missed experiencing the only thing that matters – the present moment.
So much of our life is spent dreaming about the future. Setting goals, financial forecasting, and planning our life timeline can be a good thing. It is when you are thinking about the future so much that you miss what is happening now that it becomes a problem.

At times, we may obsess about our fear of the future. We fear failure. We fear tragedy. We fear death. We spend our current moments in fear-fueled worry, so we miss what is happening now. The reality is, we have no idea how many tomorrows we will be blessed with. All the things we worry about may never happen. Fear does not protect us from the ones that do. So, why do we waste time in fear? Instead, pay attention to the moment and show up for today.

Another part of our life is spent remembering the past. The events we regret. The people we grieve. The love we have lost. Instead of keeping the memories in a place of learning and love, we replay regret, shame, and disgrace in our minds. The wonderful things that are happening today are pushed to the background, and we focus on the loss of the past. We miss the joy of today by bringing the heavy weight of yesterday into our present moments. Don’t let your yesterdays take away your today.

You see, we only have 3 days. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. Everything that has happened in the past is lumped into yesterday. Everything that might happen in the future is lumped into tomorrow. Life happens in today, more specifically, in the moment you are in right now.

Show up for today, this moment. Show up now for what is happening. Even if it is not exciting or if it’s uncomfortable, show up. Brushing our teeth in the morning is not thrilling… but pay attention to each tooth-it is important. Yard work may not be fun for you to do but show up. As you mow the grass, enjoy being outside and the benefits you receive from the sun and fresh air. Be grateful for the beauty of flowers. Nature is important.

Everyone understands how to do this in the big moments of life. Standing at the altar to say, ‘I do,' we are 100% in the moment. The birth of a child stops time in that moment. Signing a mortgage or a divorce document focuses our minds on every letter of our signature.

It is not just the big, flashy events that you need to show up for. We need to concentrate our attention on every little moment in life. Many times, the little moments are the most important, teach us the biggest lessons, and show us the beauty of life.

Show up for your life. Every moment, every second of your life. Show up.
                               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                       Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                       Give your full attention to each moment,
                             no matter how ordinary or extraordinary it seems.
                                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The stores have been busy with back-to-school shoppers. Backpacks are filled with notebooks and new pencils. Finally, this is the week. The week when all the first day of school photos are sent to grandparents and pasted on social media.

Sending my oldest child to school was a day I won’t forget. There were tears. There was fear. There was uncertainty. None of those were from my son, but I was a mess. I walked him to school the first day, filled with fear and uncertainty​. ​Walking home alone, I cried all the way.

He, on the other hand, was excited. He wore his new first-day-of-school outfit and bounced as he walked in his new shoes. He loved his new backpack and couldn’t wait to go to school like the big kids. He gave me a quick hug and ran into the classroom filled with anticipation.

Honestly, I thought one sign of not wanting to leave his mom would have been nice, but I was proud of his bravery and enthusiasm.

Over the years, I have watched my kids march through all the levels of education with that same bravery and enthusiasm. And this week, I have been receiving photos of my smiling grandchildren holding signs that say what grade they are beginning.

The photos are similar. The first-day-of-school new outfits, new shoes, new backpacks filled with notebooks and laptops, -- okay a few things have changed.

All of this has brought back to mind memories of my own school years. The books, the bus rides, the classrooms and teachers, and the lessons learned. I wondered, what did I learn that made a difference in my life? What did I learn in school that really mattered?

I can tell you a few odd facts from school that have somehow lodged in a wrinkle of my brain that haven’t changed my life. I have not played recorder or square danced since 4th grade, and I can recite most of Paul Revere’s Ride. 

I do realize that learning to read, write, and do arithmetic has held a valuable role in everyone’s life.​ But what did we learn that mattered?

I learned how to share and cooperate. This worked in kindergarten and has worked throughout my life.

I learned that those group projects that I hated at the time taught me how to work as a team. Whether it is in the workplace or in a family, working as a team has value.
I learned how to meet and talk to people. The skill of communication has gotten me further than almost anything else in life.

I learned how to be kind. In school and in life, it was (and is) easier to be gentle and kind than it is to be mean and hateful. Life goes smoother,​easier, and happier if you are.

I learned that showing up matters. In college, I learned quickly that if I read the assignment and showed up for class, I would pass. Of course, if I did a little more work than that, I passed with a higher grade, but showing up mattered. Throughout my life, that has remained true.

The years of school are a process. A rite of passage that trains us for life. The new clothes, the photographs, and maybe even the square dancing are all part of the ritual that brings with it the true lessons we are meant to learn.

To all you smiling students out there… be kind and show up. It matters!
                                                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                   Pennie’s Life Lesson:
        Success in school, work, and life often begins with simply being present.
                                        Be kind and show up. It matters!
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What if you could love your life—no matter what? Loving your life isn’t about presenting a picture of a perfect life. It is about enjoying the good days and accepting the bad. Today, I am sharing 7 practical strategies to help you shift your mindset and create a life you love.

1. Be present in your life.
Happiness and joy are found in the present simple moments of life. Many times, we concentrate on the sadness and regrets of the past or the worries and fears about the future. We miss the joy of the moments we are in.  The simple pleasures of life slip by us.
Put away the screens and other distractions and practice being fully present. Deeply listen during conversations. Notice the smells, sounds, and sensations around you. Enjoy your coffee. Watch a sunrise. Laugh with a child. Live every moment of your life.

2. Stop comparing yourself to other people.
Remember, social media is a highlight reel and not real life. Comparison will skew reality and steal your joy. Learn to like, live, and love in your own home and your own heart. The more time you spend liking yourself, the less time you have to compare yourself to others. The less time you spend comparing yourself to others, the more you will like yourself. Your life is a unique journey, and no one else has your path. Instead of comparing yourself to others, compare yourself to the person you were yesterday. Try to be a little better every day.

3. Be a positive magnet.
Cultivate positive energy. Surround yourself with the energy that will raise your level of happiness, love, and joy. Choose friends who inspire and support you. Limit toxic time – the interactions that drain your energy. Create your living space to be a place of peace that nourishes your positive energy. Energy is contagious. Be a magnet that attracts and pulls you to positive people and places that uplift you.

4. Take care of you.
Your physical and mental health play a huge role in how you feel about your life. When you prioritize self-care, you naturally start to feel better about yourself and your circumstances.
Move your body. Exercise will boost endorphins and happiness.
Eat good food. A nourishing diet improves mood and energy.
Prioritize rest – give sleep the importance it deserves.
Protect your time and energy from negativity.
Loving your life begins with loving yourself - mind, body, and soul.

5. Refocus your perspective on life.
Events don’t happen to us; they happen for us. Everything that happens in life, good and bad, is happening to teach us lessons and encourage our growth as a human.
This may be difficult to grasp, but once you do, your outlook on life will change. Even when hardships seem unfair, instead of seeing the problem as an obstacle, ask yourself what you are learning and how you are growing from the situation. Every experience, good or bad, is shaping you into the person you’re meant to be.

6. Align your life with your values.
Many people feel unhappy because they live a life based on expectations rather than their true desires. To love your life, you need to create one that aligns with what truly matters to you. What brings you joy? What do you value in life? Once you have clarity, begin designing a life that feels authentic to you.

7. Learn to give and receive gratitude.
Gratitude is one of the fastest ways to begin loving your life. When you focus on what’s good, your brain naturally shifts toward positivity. Once life becomes filled with joy and happiness, we will be grateful, right? It doesn’t work that way. Gratitude comes first! The more gratitude you feel, the more gratitude you will receive. The more gratitude you show, the more happiness and joy you will feel. Be grateful for every moment, every breath, every experience, and every lesson learned. It is not happiness and joy that make us grateful, it is gratitude that makes us happy and joyful.

Loving your life isn’t about having a perfect existence, it’s about choosing joy, gratitude, and growth, even in the face of challenges. By shifting your perspective, practicing gratitude, and surrounding yourself with positive energy, you can create a life that you truly love.
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                                                Pennie’s life lesson:
                                     Love Your Life – No Matter What!
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