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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Now it is a piece of décor that looks cool on my bookshelf without a story attached to it. The days of counting seconds, waking people up, and ticking away time are done. To me, it is a reminder of a past connected to me. A reminder of how fast time goes. And a reminder of mysteries that will never be solved.
                                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                       Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                   The real stories of the generations before us remain mysteries.
                                                     ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

​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

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

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

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

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

Spirituality. What do you believe in? What stirs your soul? What do you lean on during trying times and give gratitude for during times of plenty? What centers you and gives you peace? This may be your God, a religion, or a knowing. When you take a deep breath and look at the sky, what cleanses your thoughts? What do you hold sacred? This is spirituality. What is this for you?
​
Wealth. This is not about your bank account or how fancy your car is. This is about feeling wealthy. Do you have what you need to survive? A shelter to live in where you feel safe. Do you have food to eat and clothes to keep you warm? But more than that, are you surrounded by friends and family, do you feel loved, and do you have free time to relax and read a book? These are all luxuries that should make you feel wealthy. What does your wealth look like?

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

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

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

What would your life resume look like?
                                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                                        Pennie’s Life Lesson:
                                    A work resume tells the story of what you do.
                                      A life resume tells the story of who you are.
                                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

​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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​YOUR TURN...        Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 [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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

What if, for one week, you looked at people by looking at their hearts? Not their looks, their age, or their beliefs. Just look at their heart. Get to know their heart. Reach the spot where you realize that without the facts that create judgement, we are all the same. People. Just people. Can you, for even just one day, see the reality? See the person?
​
Pennie’s Life Lesson: The reality of life is that judgement clouds our view. 

​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

​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

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

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

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

Everything is temporary.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Even during the most difficult of times, remember it is temporary. There will be light in your life again. Reach out to friends, family, and professional help. As hard as it is, try looking at the challenging time as a learning experience and an opportunity to grow. And focus on taking one moment, one day, one week at a time. Patience can be your friend during stressful situations.  
 
That day, trapped in my car, hanging upside down by my seat belt, in the darkness, and engulfed by the smells I can’t forget, the pain and panic seemed permanent. Fear and uncertainty overwhelmed me. And then… a voice began yelling to me, the airbag that surrounded me was punctured from the outside, and I saw light.

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

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

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

Who hurt you?

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

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

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

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

What would your list look like?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​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

​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

HOW MANY PILLOWS HAVE I FLUFFED? By Pennie Hunt
 
I love pillows. I have them on every couch, every chair, and every bed in my home. I have seasonal pillows for fall, Christmas, and Easter. I have a variety of colors to change the mood of a room.

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

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

My biggest issue is finding the perfect pillow for sleeping.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​​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

​ 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.
#CornerofSpiritandBrave #LoveYourLifeNoMatterWhat #JourneyThrough #PennieHunt #IAmGoodEnough #grief #Love #Joy #HowToBeHappy #Happiness

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.
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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?
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                                                  Pennie’s Life Lesson:
​                              Artificial Intelligence is real, maybe too real.
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