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SHOUT MY NAME

10/19/2019

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Sometimes I scream in my car.
I scream LOUD!
I scream the name of my Son. 
I call for my Dad. 
I shout for my Mom.

I want them to hear ME.
To give ME a sign. To be with ME again.
I scream in my car where no one can hear me - except them.

It was mid-afternoon on a beautiful fall day. We were walking a path as trees dropped yellow leaves that swirled to the ground like golden breadcrumbs marking our way. The sun eased through the space between branches, creating diamonds in the waterfalls and warmth on my face. It was the kind of day that seemed almost too flawless to be real - more like a movie set created to look like perfection.

A woman in our group said,
   “My Dad always told me that if I was in a       place he would like, to shout his name so       he could be there with me.”
 
She shouted her Dad’s name slowly. 
I could almost see the sound travel along the path, dance through the streams, and climb up through the trees.

I realized in that moment that I had been doing this wrong.
Instead of it being about me and how I wanted and needed to see, feel, and hear from those who have passed, it should be about them. By shouting their names in places of beauty and in times of joy, it is an invitation for them to share in the moment.

I am excited to make this act of love a part of my life. I have great memories of the kinds of things and places my Dad, Mom, and Son loved. Now, when I’m in places of beauty or around the things that remind me of them and I find myself thinking, ‘oh they would have loved this,' I will shout their names. 
I will shout loud and slow and visualize their name as if it were a shooting star glowing and glittering as it circles around me, and together we will share the experience.

And now, I ask all who know and love me to do the same when I am gone.
Shout my name!                        
                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Pennie's Life Lesson:
   “Say the names of those who have passed               during moments of beauty and
                           in times of joy.  
​        Invite them to join your experience.”    
                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Pennie Heart to Heart
SHOUT MY NAME!

YOUR TURN
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about  how you talk to your loved ones who have passed. 
​
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                               All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2019 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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LIFE VEST

9/7/2018

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This is a "Pennies From The Past" that I wrote in 2013.  On September 13, 2018 I will  have been in the water 11 years... and still I wear my life vest. 
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LIFE VEST

I was forced in the water 5 years, 8 months and 5 days ago.
She was pushed recently. 

I met her last month.  Immediately, I saw the ache in her eyes as we spoke; the hurt that hides behind the everyday chit chat and smiles.  I know too well how to recognize the look of buried pain that is in the eyes of every grieving parent.

We shared photographs.  We all carry one.  Some are wrinkled and worn and some are sealed in protective covers to keep them safe.  I noticed the care she took when I handed her the picture of my son, J.T. and the loving way she brushed her fingers over it.  I silently thanked her for that.  I did the same with her photograph. 

We parents with angel children understand that the love we send them does not stop just because they are not physically here with us. 

Our stories are different, and yet the same.  The love we feel for our children.  The pain we feel without them.  The memories, the "did-that's”, the "wish-we-could's," the missing and the wanting all roll into one similar pond of pain.

I am further in the water than she is.  The hot and cold of it, the swirling and splashing is a continual dance of how we maneuver without drowning.  The trick is to do it with the grace and balance required to keep our heads above water -and breathing--always breathing.

At times I have fought the water current and at times I have floundered reaching for a life vest. The life vest has become one I wear secretly like bullet proof protection under my clothes with the hope that nothing this painful will ever penetrate my heart again. 

I continue forward.  I see others in the distance, with well-worn life vests, who have maneuvered the water much longer than I have.  I feel comfort in knowing they are leaving a trail to follow.

I turn to see the ones behind me as they wade in, stumbling and unsure if they will survive the voyage.  I reach my hand back to steady them as the waves hit, listen to them as they cry and help them position their life vests.

After 5 years, 8 months and 5 days I have learned to swim a little better. But, I will always wear my life vest. 
             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
           “Sometimes we need a life vest    
             and  sometimes we can be
             a life vest for others.”
            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to reach out to others going through a difficult experience-- one that you have lived through!  ​
​Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .
 And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                                Thank you!  ​
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~           
​                                   All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2018 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
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IT DOES NO GOOD TO WORRY

1/14/2018

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Picture
  IT DOES NO GOOD
​       TO WORRY

He arrived Jan. 14th, 1985.  The mask over his eyes protected his sight, while the bilirubin lights controlled his jaundice.  It was over a week before he was able to leave the hospital.
I worried about him.

Before he turned two he fell out of the back of our pickup camper and was rushed to the emergency room with signs of a concussion.
I worried about him.

When I picked up my office phone an excited voice said,
“Hey Mom, it was so cool I hit the best jump with my skateboard before I crashed.  Now my whole chin is ripped open and gushing blood.” 

I dropped the phone and sped home from work to take him to the emergency room for his first stitches.  His enthusiasm for his accomplishment made it hard not to laugh, but as the stitches were added to his chin tears welled in his eyes and mine.  Clutching my hand he said,  
     “Don’t worry about me, Mom.”

It seemed with every birthday candle added to the cake worries were added to my heart. Would he make it through school, through his teenage years, through life?   
And all along the journey I heard,
    “Don’t worry about me, Mom. 
    It does no good to worry about me.”
​
I thought it was a mom’s duty to worry? 
To check to see if his tiny chest was rising and falling with his breath as he slept in his crib.
To pace the floor when he had a fever.
To make sure he ate a few vegetables and not just ice-cream.  
To monitor his school work and his grades. To lay awake at night until I heard his truck pull safely into the driveway. 

Today is his 33rd birthday. He was with me for 22 cakes, candles and celebrations. This will be the 11th birthday that he hasn’t been here to celebrate.  I spend the day remembering him. Telling stories, reliving experiences, laughing and crying.  
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I reach to touch the chain that rarely leaves my neck. The simple gold necklace brings me comfort.  It brings me calmness as 
it lays safe and warm against my skin. 
My fingers glide across the smooth back of the pendant where the words,
 
   “Don’t worry about me mom, Love J.T.”
are engraved. 
​
​My thumb matches to his thumbprint on the front… connecting our love and reminding me he is in a place of peace and safety. Reminding me it was his path, not mine.  Reminding me it was in his control, not mine.
Reminding me that worrying didn’t bring me the power to save him.  Reminding me that he was wise in the knowing that it does no good to worry. 
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
              “It does no good to worry.” 
              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

IT DOES NO GOOD TO WORRY

YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to control the amount of energy and time you spend worrying. 

​Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
​                                   All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2018 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission  please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
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TURN ON YOUR BLIND SPOT MONITOR

10/6/2017

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TURN ON YOUR BLIND SPOT MONITOR

My car has a feature called the Blind Spot Monitor. 

When turned on, this life-saving invention warns you when a vehicle is detected in your blind spot.  You know, that spot to your side and just over your shoulder that you can’t see.   When a vehicle is detected a warning light flashes in the side mirror to indicate a potentially hazardous lane change.  The light stays on until the vehicle in the blind spot is safely ahead or behind you leaving you free to change lanes.

Wouldn’t it be nice if we all had a Blind Spot Monitor?  Think about all of the things we don’t see that are hidden in our personal blind spots. You know, that spot to your side and just over your shoulder that you can’t see; OR choose not to. This spot is probably overflowing with items in three categories: actions or failures to act, tolerations and grace.

Actions or failures to act.
When was the last time you did something, even unintentionally, that caused direct or indirect pain?  This is the cause and effect syndrome.  Examples of this include: not following through on promises, telling small untruths, or arriving late to an appointment or event.  Hidden in our personal blind spot is the hurt we cause others by our broken promises, untruths, and undependability.  All of these type of actions that we either take or don’t take fall into this first category.

Tolerations. 
Yes, I may have just created a new word.  Definition ala Pennie:
   Tol-er-a-tions: the people, places,     
   circumstances or things that cause us
   to participate in the act of tolerating. 
This could very well put us on the opposite side of the scale from the first category.  We permit people to take advantage of us by breaking promises or telling lies.   We tolerate laziness, sloppy work products, and misbehavior by ourselves and others by pushing it into our blind spot and telling ourselves it isn’t a big deal.  We ignore our own health, fitness and happiness. All of these tolerations fit nicely into our blind spot.

Grace. 
This may be the saddest and most important category of all. The idea that so much love, laughter and goodness in life slips into our blind spot where we don’t appreciate them.  They become wasted grace.  Close your eyes and feel hugs from your partner, the laughter of a child, the smile from a stranger, the smell of morning coffee and the wag of your dog’s tail. Yes, I said feel because I want to intentionally stir the emotion these examples of love and grace create.  How many times does grace go unnoticed in a day and huddle in our blind spot?

Now imagine with me what life would be like if we turned on our personal Blind Spot Monitor.  It would flash a beacon in our mind to indicate a potential hazard and guide us into the lane of safety.  When we came close to not following through on a promise the beacon would spark to warn us to change course.  When we tolerated our slipping health or unhappiness the beacon would remind us that loving ourselves is a priority.  And most importantly with every act of grace we encountered the loving light would spotlight the event so we wouldn’t miss it.

Yes, I believe we all have the capacity of this personal life-saving feature.  We all have a Blind Spot Monitor. We just need to turn it on and watch for the flashing beacon.
 
              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
​ “Turn on your personal Blind Spot Monitor to enjoy all of life through  open eyes.”
                 ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Pennie Heart to Heart
The reason I wrote:​​
TURN ON YOUR
​BLIND SPOT MONITOR

​My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to be aware of all that goes on in your life...little and big.  Do not allow your blind spot to cheat you out of the wonderful moments of grace that surround you.  Turn ON your blind spot monitor!

YOUR TURN - 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
​                                   All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2017 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission  please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
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TEN YEARS

9/9/2017

7 Comments

 
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TEN YEARS 

​Sitting in my car I look up at the apartment in front of me. 
Top floor.
Center window.
Looking for answers, memories, for him.

It’s been ten years.
Ten years since my son lived there.
Ten years since he tickled me with his beard and gave me one of his giant bear hugs.
Ten years since I have heard his guitar and his voice.
Ten years since I walked past the yellow caution tape and through the door in search of a “feeling” of him.
Ten years since I packed his things into boxes.
Ten years since grief and pain invaded my body.
It’s been ten years since I wrote my son’s obituary.
 
My son was pure magic. 
He was funny, talented, caring and kind. 
He turned heads with his infatuating energy and turned hearts with his never ending love.

He died in that apartment. 
He was an addict.
 
I felt desperately alone.
Addiction is a circle of shame – for the addict and the family. 
His very inner circle of family and friends knew.
Only MY very inner circle of family and friends knew.
 
His addiction was kept private. 
No one knew he smoked pot for the first time when he was 12.
No one knew the first rehab was when he was 16.
No one knew he became addicted to an anti-anxiety drug a doctor prescribed for him.
No one knew he went to rehab the second time.
No one knew he began using prescription drugs again after having his wisdom teeth pulled and prescribed pain medication.
No one knew he went to rehab the third time.
No one knew how hard he tried to get better.
No one knew the cycle, the rollercoaster, the nightmare.

No one knew his pain or mine.
No one knew what caused his death.

The rumors, the gossip, the questions only made waiting for the autopsy more difficult.
It didn’t make sense to me, but I wanted to believe it when I read:
     CAUSE OF DEATH- Bronchopneumonia. 

I locked the rest of the report in my home safe and in the safety of my heart.  I didn’t want to say out loud that there was Methadone in his system within the normal toxic range, but it was also in the therapeutic range for treatment. 
I didn’t want to see the small amount of Diazepam (Valium) in his system.  Both prescribed to him.

I have learned that toxicology reports are only accurate if done swiftly.  If there is a delay the results are skewed.  In these cases the cause is almost always reported as- Bronchopneumonia.  My son’s autopsy was not conducted until four days after he passed. 

For most of these years I have only spoken about the details with very select people, in private settings of safety.

After ten years, it is time for me to stand in the truth.
My son was an addict.
Addiction and drugs killed him. 
 
The image of an addict as someone found lying in an alley with a needle in their arm needs to be redefined.  
Addicts are our brothers, our sisters, our parents, our best friends and our children.  They are on every level of economic status and emotional strength.  They collide with addiction in an infinite number of ways. 
 
I’ve spoken to rehab groups.
I’ve met with parents of addicts. 
I’ve held the hands of others who have lost children. 
I have quietly watched the reports of more and more dying.  More and more families struggling.  More and more people criticized, shamed and shunned for suffering from addiction.  

The struggle is real.
My son was not alone. 
His story is the story of so many others. 

We need to talk about it.  We need to build a better network of ‘immediate’ treatment and support.  We need to celebrate success and recovery in the same way we celebrate winning a battle with cancer… knowing that recurrence is possible, but support and hope never fades.

This epidemic needs to stop!
No one should have to hide behind shame and stigma when they desperately need help.

No sister should have to tattoo her brother’s memory on her wrist.
No brother should have to lose his best friend.
No Mom should have to write her child’s obituary.
No parent should have to close another casket.
 
I look up at the apartment in front of me.  Top floor.
Center window.  
Looking for answers, memories, for him.

I think of a conversation I had with my oldest son after the funeral.  
     “Mom, what will we do when it’s been
       ten years and we forget him?”
My answer was the same that day as it is today,
     “Oh, honey, ten years is a long, long
      time, but we will never forget him!”
 ​   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“No matter how long it takes to stand in your truth, step past the fear and stand in the light.” 
​         ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~

LINKS TO SPREAD AWARENESS AND HELP 

Please visit and share this link to Celebrating Lost Loved Ones.  A map to build awareness and  celebrate the magical lives lost to this epidemic:
​ http://arcg.is/2dduJah
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In memory of my J.T. 1985-2007
 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pennie Heart to Heart
The reason I wrote:​ TEN YEARS

            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My intent in sharing this with you is to speak your truth - especially if it can help others!  

YOUR TURN - Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                          Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
​                                   All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2017 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission  please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
7 Comments

WHO IS CHAUFFEURING YOUR LIFE?

6/22/2017

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Picture
WHO IS CHAUFFEURING YOUR LIFE? 

Our lives are driven by stories.
We travel the road yielding to them as they climb into the back seat.

We turn left, we turn right and choose the forks in the road that we hope will lead us to our happily ever after.
With every turn we pick them up.
A story here.
A story there. 

Some are interesting.  Some are scary.  Some are fun.  Some we want to lock in the trunk and forget. They all merge together to create the book of our life.

Occasionally we are jolted to completely stop at a red light and a story forces its way into the front seat with us. 

Some are powerful and push us out of our driver’s seat and  takes over as the chauffeur of our lives. The story becomes the theme that overshadows all the other stories and events that we experience.

The story becomes who we are.

Every turn we make is because of the story.

Every decision is because of the story.  

For you, this may be a happy chauffeur taking you to just the right places – school, a career, a life partner, children and success.  The chauffeur takes you on the drive you hoped for and the life story you dreamt of.  

Or, the story may be one of grief, desperation, loss, or despair.  The story is sad and takes over your life.  You no longer have control of the wheel.
The story has control and circles you as if you are stuck in a round-a-bout reliving the tragedy over and over.  You feel like you can’t put on the brakes or turn a different direction. 

We all have experienced stories of good and bad; happiness and sadness.  It is up to us to melt our stories into a collective balance for our life.  Don’t allow an event or tragedy to lock you into park or worse-- navigate you to a dark, dead end street. 

Decide who you want to chauffeur your life.  Take control of your stories.
Each one can be told from many perspectives.
Concentrate on the great stories and look for ways to see lessons and grace in your challenging ones.
Keep your steering wheel balanced and driving happily through your life. 

Who is chauffeuring your life?  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 Pennie’s Life Lesson:
       “Don’t allow one event or tragedy to                                  drive your life.
    Take control of your own steering wheel.”
             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about the life stories you repeat over and over allowing them to define what your life is and  who you are.  Are they the stories you want to be in control of that?  Hmmmmm...

Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                                Thank you!  ​
                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                          All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013-2017 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
                                       Please keep the entire message intact, including
                                            contact, logo, and copyright information.
                 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission       
                                                 please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
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THE MAN   I NEVER KNEW

6/10/2017

2 Comments

 
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     THE MAN
   I NEVER KNEW

It was the third cemetery I had walked through in less than 24 hours. While visiting the state where my grandparents lived, the passing of time lead me to where snapshots of my childhood were now tucked within the granite speckled grass.

My mind flash-danced through memories as I walked.
The laughter of my handsome uncle who I was certain I would grow up to marry, until he passed away as a result of a truck accident.
My aunt’s impish smile and her black cat-eyed glasses that were popular in the 60’s. She brought a new word into my vocabulary and world – Cancer.
My grandmother whose kind gentle hands taught me how to paint, decorate cakes and see the magical, spiritual side of life- and death.
My cousin, one year older than me, that shared my memories of homemade ice cream on our grandparent’s porch and reminded us all that life can end with one attack to the heart.
The man I called Grandad.  It was a name that fit.  He was tall, gentle, quiet and grand in the way he blended strength and kindness.  My dad was 4 when Grandad came into his life and took over the role his dad had left vacant. 

Now, on my third stop, I searched for a name that held no memories for me.  No snapshots of the past.  I searched for the man who passed away from tuberculosis when my dad was 9 months old. 

Up and down the grass I walked.  Then in the area marked by a crumbling post that once read, Section 3, I found a simple flat stone.
               Loren Franklin Hunt
                           1904-1931

I am not sure what I thought I would feel or learn from this discovery.  I am not sure if I expected a connection of heart or spirit.  I was sure that I needed to, in some way, meet the man I never knew- yet without him fathering my dad I wouldn’t be here.  I needed to feel the same love and respect for him as I did all the others I had visited in the grass that day.

I stood a long time to study his name.  I wondered what his laugh sounded like; what his smile was like; what his hands felt like as he held my newborn Dad; and I wondered  if he was as grand in his strength and kindness as the man who stepped into his shoes.

Life repeats in serendipitous ways.  When my son passed away, also at a young age, he too left a 9 month old child, my granddaughter.  I realized as I stood there why I had been driven to find the marker of a man I never knew.
It was for him.
It was for my dad.
It was for me.
It was for my son.
It was for my granddaughter.

I closed my eyes and sent a wish of hope that someday someone will care enough to search in the same way I did for the name of a man they never knew and share love and respect for his life and the generations that followed him. 

Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Love doesn’t stop when you leave this life.  Send gratitude to all who came before you.” ​
Picture
Picture
Loren Franklin Hunt 1904-1931
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to remember not only the people you knew in this life, but also the ones you didn't know. 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                Thank you!
 ​                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                          All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013-2017 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
                                       Please keep the entire message intact, including
                                            contact, logo, and copyright information.
                 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission       
                                                 please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com

Pennie HEART to Heart
The reason I wrote this post. 

2 Comments

THIS KIND OF LOVE

5/6/2017

0 Comments

 
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         THIS
 KIND OF LOVE

Every bump in the road caused me to hold the door handle tighter as my contractions grew stronger.  A few short hours later my young 19-year-old self is syphoned into a whirlwind of new experiences.  A washcloth is put in my mouth to muffle my expressions of pain and my legs are strapped into stirrups. I hear,
       “The baby’s heartbeat is dropping,
         we have to move fast.”
Pushing, forceps, fear – these were not covered in the prenatal classes.  The cry of a tiny soul and the tears of his mother are ignored as he is swept away. 

My bed is wheeled to the hallway for a makeshift recovery room.  I watch every face as it passes and in a foggy drugged daze I wonder where he has been taken. 
Several hours later I hold the most beautiful gift I have ever been given.  I understand for the first time this kind of love. 
His name is Jeremiah.
~ ~ ~

Two years pass-- I wake up to a sharp pain.  Grabbing my swollen belly I stand as warm red fear flows down my leg. In a blink, I am on the maternity floor. 
There is no heart beat and yet my body contracts in the effort of labor.  I am alone in the sterile room as the tiny baby leaves my body. 
I squeeze the emergency button calling for help.  Stopping at the edge of my bed the doctor puts his arm around my shoulder and says,
     “Some ladies take this well and
       some have a hard time.”
I am numb… which would I be?

Twenty-four hours click by.  I walk by rooms where new moms are snuggling their babies.  I hear their newborn cries as I ride the elevator down, empty handed.
​I reach to pick up my beautiful toddler.  Someone stops me saying,
     ‘Be careful…
            it’s like you had a baby."                                                     
My heart bleeding, I swallow the words I want to shout – I DID HAVE A BABY – His name is Jake.
~ ~ ~

She is an angel.  Her round cherub face landing in my life through a sweet, simple birth.  The room glows with happiness.  The 9 month fear and worry about this pregnancy is now covered with everything soft and pink.  She fits in my arms as if she has always been there.  Together we are  happy and content.
It’s my 22nd birthday and I bring her home. Her name is Sarah.
~ ~ ~

Five years later football is on the television in the birthing room. The process is different from the first time. I’m an expert now, wanting to experience and remember every contraction, every moment of birth, as this will be my last.  His eyes twinkle with a warning of who he is… an impish let’s-get-this-party-started boy joins my life.  I hold him in fierce protection to keep him in this moment forever.  
His name is Jameson.
~ ~ ~

Motherhood arrived for me four times over eight years. In easy and difficult ways.

Jeremiah and Sarah are now grown with children of their own.  They are adults with successful resumes, education, and accomplishments.

Jameson hit the world ready to have fun and for a short 22 years brought love to all who knew him.  As a toddler, he played endlessly with his imaginary friend, “Jake.”  I believe the two were a prearranged team who now watch us from the magical space we all come from and will all return to.

Mothers are celebrated one day a year, but mothers celebrate day by day, moment by moment, breath by breath  We celebrate the moment we give birth and every moment we have with the special souls we call children. We cry at preschool graduations and cry when college diplomas are awarded.  We celebrate their success and accomplishments and hold pride for how their lives grew.  We hurt when they hurt and are painfully scarred if they pass before us.

The title of “Mother” and the gift of motherhood should not be taken lightly. Mothering is not a finite venture.  The love we feel for our children is one of powerful connection.  Whether they are with us for our lifetime or leave this life ahead of us, the love and connection is of equal strength.  We are bound to our children through magical golden cords that are not separated by age, by distance or by death. 
Mothers understand THIS kind of love.
            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Motherhood should be celebrated day by day, moment by moment, and breath by breath.”
             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about your mom, what motherhood means and how you can celebrate Mother's Day every day! 

Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                                Thank you!  ​
                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                          All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013-2017 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
                                       Please keep the entire message intact, including
                                            contact, logo, and copyright information.
                 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission       
                                                 please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
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DON’T CONNECT THE DOTS! 

2/25/2017

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DON’T CONNECT THE DOTS! 

Have you ever experienced a meltdown…the kind where you find yourself in a messy puddle on the floor?

 I have a concept called, "Pennie’s DOT Theory", that states:

 “Any event that happens to us, around us, or concerns us is just one tiny DOT in the grand adventure of life. If we over-think one DOT it becomes magnified and joins with other DOTs to form a mass of stress that creates imbalance and unhappiness.”

 If we blow one DOT out of proportion it can consume us, make us irrational and ultimately we end up in that messy puddle.  The problem is we over think a little DOT allowing it to become a big DOT.
Remember this –  
         D--O--T-    
       DON’T  OVER THINK the DOT!  

It happened to me.
It began with a flu shot.
Well, the flu shot is not responsible for the entire meltdown but it is the DOT that began the snowball rolling. For three days after the shot I felt tired, drained and far from the perky, optimistic, personality I am known for. 

My fatigue turned into a colossal cold.  Another DOT.

I stopped working out, stopped meditating, stopped eating right…DOT… DOT… DOT! 

As the days continued my snowball began rolling faster. More stressful DOTs showed up.  The imbalance grew.  I broke dishes, forgot things and my blood pressure went up.  

As the DOTs continued to connect, overwhelm set in.  I began allowing the profanities of human emotions to marinate with the DOTs…. You know the ones… words like, jealousy, resentment, anger, insecurity, and ultimately the BIG four letter word      
            - FEAR! 

Then it happened.
It doesn't matter what the “IT” was… it was just another DOT, but the most dangerous kind for me…my feelings were hurt.  The snowball aimed right for that DOT rolling around in it until every dirty bit of it was connected to the DOT party forming in my head.  It was just the DOT to heat up the snowball enough for it to come to a full stop, a complete meltdown and a DOT EXPLOSION! 

The pity party wasn't pretty.
The meltdown was ugly.
The DOT explosion was epic causing a massive heart attack.  You see, when you over-think little DOTs they join with other DOTs in the same way blood cells stick together to block your arteries.  You don’t function well and it eventually leads to a heart attack.  

Thank goodness DOT heart attacks don’t send you to the hospital.  Yet, they have the power to do just as much damage.  Accumulating and over-thinking DOTs stifles your happiness.  Fear takes over attacking your heart and breaking down its protective covering until an explosive meltdown occurs. A crack is formed and your heart is scared in hidden ways.  

Finally, I stepped back from the dirty puddle I was sitting in and realized I had broken my own DOT rules.  By over thinking every little DOT I had given them the power to become huge in my mind.  I allowed them to connect one, by one, stripping me of my calm, my contentment and my happiness. They blinded me and I couldn't see around them.

I carried the huge DOT mass around like a collection of boulders in a backpack.  Only as I dropped the backpack did they tumble out before me and I could see the tiny pebbles each of them really were.
Just tiny DOTs in the grand adventure of life! 
                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Any event that happens to us, around us, or concerns us is just one tiny DOT in the grand adventure of life.
        Don’t Over-Think the DOTs!"

***Since we all learn from each other, I would love to have you share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  Thank you!***
                                                               All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
                                       Please keep the entire message intact, including
                                            contact, logo, and copyright information.
                 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission       
                                                 please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
                                                                             Thank you!
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THREE ABILITIES THAT DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS

2/3/2017

1 Comment

 
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THREE ABILITIES THAT DETERMINE YOUR SUCCESS AND HAPPINESS
​
Are you searching for the secret to happiness?

Do you wonder why other people seem to be more successful than you—even if you believe that you work harder than they do? 

It comes down to three attributes. 
Here it is 1 – 2 – 3! 

1. The ability to accept and adapt to change.

2. The ability to believe you are Good  
     Enough to  love and be loved.

3. The ability to express gratitude.

Let me break these down for you.

I learned as a little girl growing up in a military family to make friends on the playground or stand alone.  I learned that I needed to accept the changes that occurred when my father received orders that moved us to a new community and that I needed to adapt to my new environment, make friends and enjoy the new normal.

This has served me well through career changes, divorce and grief.  While others live in the Who-Moved-My-Cheese stagnation unable to accept that their life has changed and unable to adapt to the new adventures ahead of them, successful, happy people hone the ability to accept and adapt.  You may not always like the event that spurred the change, but cultivate the ability to bloom in the space you find yourself – no matter what!

We are bombarded with the message that we are Not Good Enough!  We all protect that space inside where we believe we are not thin enough, smart enough, rich enough…the list goes on and on.  The newest guilt inducers verified by the over 300,000 self-help books on the market are that we are not happy enough, healthy enough or holy enough.

Here’s the thing – WE ARE ALL GOOD ENOUGH!!  Just by the pure biological chance that we were created proves this –it is no accident!  We were all meant to be here! I can tell you this all day, but YOU must do the work on this one.  YOU have to believe right down to your inner core that YOU ARE GOOD ENOUGH!

It doesn't matter what trauma you had as a child or what wrongs you have committed, you must come to a place of knowing that you are Good Enough to love and be loved.  If you don’t believe it no one else will believe it of you.  Relationships, love, happiness and success will avoid you—after all you are sending off the vibe that you aren't Good Enough and don’t deserve it!

Lastly, you must express gratitude.  You will never receive more if you are not grateful for what you have.  If all you have is a pair of shoes and a burger to eat, be grateful for that! Be grateful for every step, every breath, and every moment you are given and for all that your life is filled with.

Don’t just say, “Thank you,”  feel gratitude with every cell of your body.  Tell others why you are thankful for them.  Write thank you notes, make phone calls, journal, pray, sing, dance – whatever moves you to a loving place, do it!

You cannot hold on to a negative like hurt, anger or fear when you are filled with gratitude.  Practice the ability to express gratitude until it becomes your DNA. 
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pennie's Life Lesson:
“To be happy and successful cultivate these three attributes:
The Ability to accept and adapt to change; The Ability to believe you are Good Enough to love and be loved;
The Ability to express gratitude.”
                                            ~ Pennie Hunt 

                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~
 My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to practice these three attributes until they become part of your daily living! Monitor how this positively affects your life! 

YOUR TURN - Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
                   PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                            Thank you!  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                    All Rights Reserved
                      Copyright © 2013-2017 Pennie Hunt
            This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                           Feel free to forward this post.
             Please keep the entire message intact, including
                   contact, logo, and copyright information.
       If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint              permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
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WHAT I LEARNED IN A DARK MOVIE THEATER

1/28/2017

2 Comments

 
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WHAT I LEARNED IN A DARK MOVIE THEATER

I bought one ticket.
I bought the large popcorn and drink combo.
I sat in the last row.  Middle seat.
I had never done this before.

There is something about seeing movies in a theater.  The big screen mesmerizes me.  The sound swallows me.  The popcorn tastes like it could be the last gourmet meal of my life – to me it’s that good. I love going to a movie theater, but I had never in my life gone alone.

There was a movie I wanted to see. The timing wasn’t right, no one wanted to see it with me, so I thought I would have to wait until it was out as a rental.

The movie chased around in my thoughts.  It was about someone who had lost a child.  Of course that is what drew me to it.  The common thread.  The curiosity.  I wondered if the movie would portray my thoughts and feelings.  I wondered if I would learn something I didn’t know about grief. 
It followed me around pulling my heart along, not allowing me to push it away.  I couldn’t shake the feeling that I needed to see the movie.

Driving an hour to the shopping area, my whole body smiled.  The entire day was mine. A day of “me” time.
After a little shopping and lunch at my favorite place, the movie flashed in my mind.  I quickly looked on my phone.  It was playing at a budget theater nearby and I had just enough time to make it there. 
But…I had never done this before -- gone to a movie alone. 
Is that weird?
Is it weird that I am kind of afraid to do this? Is it strange that this movie has such a grasp on me, constantly taking space in my thoughts?
My fear played ping pong with the movie. 
The movie won. 

The back row wasn’t bad.  It felt safe.  No one could see me – or the giant bucket of popcorn I balanced on my lap.  At 1:00 in the afternoon on a weekday there were 6 other people there to share my theater.  None of them came alone.  Except me.

I shut off my phone.  Two hours went quickly.  The movie was amazing. 
I cried.  I hurt.  At times I wanted to shout at the screen. There were moments I wanted to pray.
I understood why I needed to see the movie.  The message was for me.
I sat in my seat until the last credit rolled, the lights were bright and the workers came in to clean up any abandoned popcorn buckets.

A few things became very clear.
It was clear to me that I would not have received the message the movie brought to me if I hadn’t listened to my heart pushing me to see it.

It was clear to me that although going to a movie alone may seem like a silly fear to some, it was real to me.  Walking into that theater was empowering. 
It was clear I had missed opportunities in my life when I allowed fear to win.

It was clear to me that I did need to see the movie.  I needed to see it alone.  I needed to be able to cry alone.  I needed to absorb the meaning of the movie’s message --alone.

Life is magical how it manipulates us, bringing us messages we need to hear, putting us in places we need to be, pushing us to do things that we are afraid to do. 
All of it done with the intent of giving us clarity. 

And yes, I ate the entire bucket of popcorn….

Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Listen when life is pulling, pushing and prodding you to do something that stirs fear.  Until you walk into it, you will never fully gain understanding, clarity and strength.”
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YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to walk into your fear.  Don't allow it to keep you from the clarity it brings. 

Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                Thank you!  
                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                    All Rights Reserved
                      Copyright © 2013-2017 Pennie Hunt
            This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                           Feel free to forward this post.
             Please keep the entire message intact, including
                   contact, logo, and copyright information.
       If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint              permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
2 Comments

MEDITATION SAVED MY LIFE!

1/20/2017

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MEDITATION SAVED MY LIFE!

I began meditating over a decade ago during a very stressful time in my life.

I was certain my mind and body would explode from the pressure, as I tried to handle many highly emotional life situations. Desperation set in as I struggled to gain some essence of control in my world of chaos.

My first attempt at gaining relief from this tension was when I sat down, closed my eyes and  with the sound of rain falling in my headphones said to myself over and over and over again,

     "Clear my mind...

        clear my mind...

        clear my mind."

I didn't know what meditation was, nor did I realize that was what I was doing.   I just knew I needed peace in my mind, heart and soul

I lasted about five minutes, before I jumped up believing I had failed as my mind hadn't cleared at all.

Determined, I continued this routine daily and soon I became more and more successful.  Some days I could actually sit for the 5 minutes and my mind would clear.  The minutes turned to ten, then fifteen and at times I would sit for hours. 

Meditation saved my life.

I learned how to separate myself from the world outside of my body and control my emotions, thoughts and feelings.  I could handle the stress of all that was happening in a clean, clear and calm way.

After years of learning about the many various types of meditation, I have settled in to what works for me.

I believe you do not have to follow a certain meditation dogma or philosophy to receive an emotional and physical benefit.  The basic premise is to quiet your thoughts and allow calm, contentment and peace to fill the space of your mind and body. 

Now, whether I want to relax and release tension or concentrate on one thought, I turn to daily meditation as my life saving method.
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  
Pennie's Life Lesson:
           "Quiet your mind and allow calm,
          contentment and peace to fill you." 
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to find your own place of quiet, place of solitude, place of peace. 

Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                Thank you!  
                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                    All Rights Reserved
                      Copyright © 2013-2017 Pennie Hunt
            This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                           Feel free to forward this post.
             Please keep the entire message intact, including
                   contact, logo, and copyright information.
       If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint              permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
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THE WALK

1/6/2017

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THE WALK

I began this year with a walk.
I had walked around this lake many times, but this time was different.
It was cold. The wind raw.
Not my typical walking weather. 
I bundle up in layers of protection and begin. 

A wind gust stings my face and I think of January of 2016 when my dog, Yogee, passed.  Like the wind, the memory stings my heart.  I draw my scarf tighter around my neck and dig deeper to pull warm memories of her around me.  Happy memories of her.

I turn a corner and remember March, when a new joy filled my heart. I named this fur child, Gracie.  I smile at the way she has added love, energy and, yes, Grace to my life.

A sequence of three planes fly over me.  I look at them remembering all of the flights I have been on, the trips I have taken, and the adventures I have enjoyed in life.

Couples walk by and I think of the paths I have walked.  Sometimes with a partner holding my hand keeping me stable, safe and secure.  Sometimes alone struggling to see the road ahead.  Equally teaching me and taking me to my next destination in life.

Cars rush by on one side of the lake and I feel the rush of my life.  How I have pushed through spaces in such a hurry to move on… missing the little things, the important things, the meaning of things.

I hear a squeal and turn to see children running across the frozen lake, their dog chasing them in a game of frozen slip and slide.  I reach for my heart fearing the thickness of the ice may not be strong enough to hold them.  Then I see myself, ice skates on racing across the ice, circling my brother as he ice fishes and my dog running close behind.  I feel the pain of the times I fell, laughed and bounced back up. 
When did I grow up?
When did I become afraid? 
When did I learn fear?  
When did I stop enjoying the game?

Halfway around the lake the bitter wind makes me want to turn back.  The distance ahead is shorter.  I’ve seen what is behind me.  My only choice is forward. 

And then I stop.
The sun is reflecting off the lake and shining in my eyes.  The frozen water dances like glitter and warms me.  I close my eyes and remember my times being at the ocean, watching the sun shimmer across the waves.  To me each sparkle from the reflection is a person who was here and gone….jumping and shouting at me,
“love this time, enjoy this life and even though you can’t see us we are still here!”
I feel them with me as I push forward.

Coming to the end of my circle I reach a bridge. Stepping on its wooden frame I see the bridges I have crossed when life gave me no other choice than to jump the gap below.  I see the bridges I have burned and the ones that have burned me. I am silently thankful for being brave enough to cross all of them.
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Running down the slope of the last hill the walk goes faster, the memories flash quicker, time speeds by.  I think of things I have done that I wish I could undo.  Things I have said that I wish I could take back.  I think of things I have accomplished and people I have helped and my heart hopes that my honorable actions outweigh my wrong doings.

January 1st is no different than December 31st or any other day. Sunrise to sunrise the days blur. 
The years pass.
The walk continues.
It isn’t the turning of the calendar page – its memories that turn time. It’s how we loved and how we were loved. It’s the hearts that met ours to create the scenery in our journey.

Geese fly over sounding their horns of celebration.  Celebration of joy, of love, of life.

I began this year with a walk.
t was cold. The wind raw.
I bundle up in layers of protection and continue. 

Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Be grateful for this walk you take through life.  Enjoy every fall, every bridge, and every step.” 
              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to experience this walk we take through life.  Be grateful for all the paths, the falls and the steps forward.
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                Thank you!  
                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
                                    All Rights Reserved
                      Copyright © 2013-2017 Pennie Hunt
            This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                           Feel free to forward this post.
             Please keep the entire message intact, including
                   contact, logo, and copyright information.
       If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint              permission please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
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BURIAL GROUND

9/10/2016

2 Comments

 
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Burial Ground 

While going through old photos I found one of myself from several years ago.

​I saw the familiar outward smile for the experience of the moment, but it was the inward sadness spilling from my eyes that colored the photo with memories. 

I can read people well and always sense sadness by their eyes and in their smile.  I naively thought I was gifted in covering my own inner feelings from others.

This photo, this smile was all too clear to me.  My face was the cover of a book that held the story of a mother's despair. My smile forced, my face swollen from the pressure of holding grief. 

The photo, taken two years after my son passed was validation of the wear my pain had caused. The physical reaction to heart break.
I have searched the photo for days, re-feeling the moments after his passing....from the phone call until now years later. I've tried to grasp the transition of feelings over time.  

I have become a Burial Ground.  
We all have endured the loss of a loved one. I have experienced many, so I say this from understanding and comparison. A mother’s grief for a child is different.  We accept the gift of creating a life within our bodies, nurturing that life and bringing it forward to re-gift to the world.

We endure the shock, the pain, and the irreversible moment of having that life ripped from us.  We are mothers willing to carry any weight we must in protection and honor of our child. We plan the service, pick the flowers and stand over a casket.  We remember the smell of the soft spot on the back of their neck and the smell of the funeral home.

For many, the burial ground is a memory of freshly piled dirt that covers our child in a brown dust of isolation. Over time grass will become the green blanket that forms a backdrop for repeated splashes of colorful flowers, creating moments of beauty, while the pain remains very alive buried underneath. 

In the same way our mother bodies become a burial ground.

For years the pain shows on our faces.  Slowly we learn how to live in a new way.  Even as more time passes, as the smiles become more genuine, the eyes will always be the lenses into our eternal pain.

Our outward lives experience splashes of joy and moments of happiness, while our hearts never recover from the pain buried inside.  Hidden beneath, our child is held tightly protected in our broken hearts. We become a living, walking, breathing burial ground guarding the life that will forever remain cradled inside of us.

I scanned through more and more photos of myself and watched as the swelling receded from my face. The smile began to sparkle. Joy returned. 

Looking deeply though, I see it, the way I have always seen it in other grieving moms.  I see it in myself. Concentrating on my eyes I realize they have become my determined gatekeepers for my internal burial ground.     
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
     “When you look deeply into eyes,
​              you will see the pain of the past.”  
                      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to notice the pain carried secretly inside....in you and in others.  
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .
 And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                                Thank you!  
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                   All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission  please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
2 Comments

DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT LOVE?

8/26/2016

0 Comments

 
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DO YOU EVER THINK ABOUT LOVE?

We talk about love all the time.
We love this thing and we love that person.   Yet, how often do you really THINK about love?

Most people spend more time deciding what to have for dinner than thinking about love. Shouldn’t this intense feeling of deep affection rally more than an occasional thought?

What is love?
What does it mean to love and be loved?
Who do you love and what makes you love them?
Who loves you and what makes them love YOU?
How do you show love through actions, words, expressions and service?
Are you showing it in a way that makes that person FEEL loved?
What makes YOU feel loved?
How do you feel when you GIVE love?

When you begin thinking about Love and asking these questions your ability to express love and feel love will increase.
That only makes sense, right?

Take some time to study your habits of love.  Study the way you love the ones closest to you and how they love you.  Study how you show love to the clerk at the grocery store or the co-workers you interact with all day.  Study how you treat yourself.  Are you loving to yourself?

It is easy to create a habit of nonchalant loving without ever thinking about LOVE.  Maybe it is time to begin nurturing the way you love.

Tell others that you love them.  Show others that you love them. Start planning LOVE into your day.  

Don’t forget to love yourself in the process!

Pennie’s Life Lesson:
        “Do you ever THINK about LOVE?
             Maybe it is time to begin!”
             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think - really think - about love and how you can better nurture it in your life.  
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .
 And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                                Thank you!  
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                   All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission  please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
0 Comments

THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE

8/13/2016

3 Comments

 
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THIS LITTLE LIGHT OF MINE


It seemed like a giant step to the front platform of the church.

When the piano began playing it was our cue to begin singing.  Each time we visited our grandmother who lived states away, my brother, sister and I sang, This Little Light of Mine, at the Hurricane Baptist Church.

When we sang my body swayed back and forth – mostly from nerves.  My eyes linked to the glowing face of my grandmother. Her smile encouraged me to sing loud and strong. I loved her and would do anything to make her proud and happy – even overcome the fear I felt standing on a huge stage in front of a crowd to sing the same lyrics year after year. 

Not long ago I was back in the Hurricane Baptist Church.  As I stood in the pew looking at the one small step to the front platform I realized the passing of time had shrunk the size and scale of the space I stood in as a little girl.

Decades of events skipped through my mind. This was the church where my parents were married. This was the church where I cried at funerals.  And this was the church where I learned the song that I could hear as it circled my memory now.  

Occasionally, a life lesson is a long time in the learning.  Standing in that pew I realized the lesson my grandmother was very intentionally teaching.  We could have sung a different song every year, but it was always THAT song.  She wanted us to sing it over and over again until we understood the meaning. 

We all have our own unique spirit inside; a one of a kind light that needs to shine.  We must bravely allow our individual personality, our talent and our joy to be seen and shared.  We must have the courage to stand up in front of others and hold up our light.  And, never allow anyone to smother it.  What a bold and bright lesson in one little song. 

This church was my grandmother’s space; a home where she felt love and joy.  This is where HER light shinned. This is where I followed her encouragement and love to take that giant step as a little girl.  This is where I held up my little light and allowed it to shine boldly, brightly and bravely. This is where I now understood the power of my spirit and the importance of bringing it out into the open space for others to see.

Yes, this little light of mine, I’m gonna let it shine.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Allow your light to shine boldly, brightly and bravely…only then will you know the power of your  spirit.”   
                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~                               
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to shine the inner spirit of who you are to the rest of the world.  It is in this light you will find fulfillment and happiness.  How do you let your light shine? 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .
 And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                                Thank you!  
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                   All Rights Reserved
                 Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt
         This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission  please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
3 Comments

The Memory Maker

4/21/2016

0 Comments

 
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THE MEMORY MAKER

One hand carried my bucket
while the other grasped the largest stick I could find to swish away the foliage and shoo away the bugs.

I would follow my grandmother trying to match my small footprints with hers. We were on safari in this land of wilderness.   

Reaching the creek, we searched for a rocky entry to the water.  Stepping in, the mud squished between my toes as my feet and legs quickly became red and numb from the cold.  I took deep breaths as the crawdads snapped at my feet and the sunfish brushed their thorned backs against me. 

We would hike back to her house with treasures in our buckets – magnificent rocks that sparkled in the sun like diamonds and gold; crawdads to watch as they pinched and squirmed; snail shells; and flowers.
All were the riches of life and the secrets of nature.   

Her property bordered a state park.
She didn’t take me in her car to the paved parking lot to play on the sand filled playground.
She didn’t take me to the groomed pebble lined paths with arrows signaling points of interest.
She took me on a quest-- trekking from her yard to the thickly wooded seclusion where trees were curled with the bending of age and the over grown creek bed was the land of nature in full celebration.  

Even today, I remember the sounds of the crickets, the smell of the muddy creek water and the constant swatting of mosquitoes as we ate our picnic lunches while discussing how the flow of the water smoothed and polished the rocks.  
Nothing my grandmother did with me was average or normal.  It was always an adventure; an artistic creation; a moment of learned love. 

She was a Memory Maker.

Making memories is the experience.
The gift of an experience is worth more than any item we can give.
The gift of an experience can even make legs covered in mosquito bites a joyful memory! 

Who can you be a Memory Maker for? 
               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
        “Give the gift of time and experiences.
                   Be a Memory Maker!”
                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~                  YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to create those moments in life you AND others will always remember.   Be a Memory Maker! 

Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .
 And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
  Thank you
                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt
 This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
 Feel free to forward this post.  Please keep the entire message intact, including  contact, logo, and copyright information.
 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission  please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
0 Comments

BREATH OF GREEN

3/11/2016

0 Comments

 
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BREATH OF GREEN

So often I hear people saying they are rushed, tired and overwhelmed.

They are running from one meeting to the next, stressed about paying bills and worried about keeping others happy.

What they are ultimately doing is living in fear.
Fear of being late.
Fear of not having enough money.
Fear of disappointing others.

And the BIG one -fear of not being good enough.

Do you see yourself in that scenario?  If so, here is something that always works for me. 

Your mind cannot live in fear and love simultaneously.  Therefore, the answer is to increase love. You must begin by increasing the love inside of You!

Begin by understanding a new concept. Green is the color of love. Yes, Green! I know what you are thinking - wait a minute, what about red; the color of valentines, hearts and roses? 

Chakras, or energy centers, are located at strategic points in the body and are aligned with a color value.  The heart Chakra is Green and corresponds with unconditional love, compassion and healing.  Imagine a beautiful glowing emerald Green circle that radiates around your heart.

To increase love in yourself, for yourself and for others, you must fill this energy center with love.  This will in turn multiply and fill you with love.  Love will then spill outwardly - to others and to every aspect of your life.

This is where my "Breath of Green" comes in.  How often do you see green? Green is everywhere!  When you see Green, take in a slow deep breath.  As you do, visualize breathing in Green; breathing in love. At first you may even say out loud or to yourself,

     "breathe in love." 

As you exhale imagine pushing out fear. Visualize fear as black, dirty, and ugly.  At first you may even say out loud or to yourself,        

     "breathe out fear."

This only takes a few seconds. Breathe in fresh clean love. Exhale painful fear.
With every breath you will feel calmer.  No one will even know you are doing it, but they will notice a change in you.  YOU will FEEL a change in you. 

Soon you will begin to see Green everywhere. Your eyes will begin searching for it.

A woman will walk into a meeting wearing a Green sweater.

A dog with a Green leash will walk by you on the sidewalk.

The menu at the lunch deli will have the special outlined in Green. 

The junk mail you are throwing away will be in a Green envelope.

You will see a Green light as you are driving -Go Now- breathe in love!

Make an effort to try this for one week.   Once you experience the cleansing of fear and feel the new calmness of love take over, you will want to continue this practice.   

             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
   "Love and fear are not compatible.
   Fill yourself with love,  in order to  
   diminish fear."
              ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

YOUR TURN...
 I shared this with you to give you a tool to relax and calm your busy life-- in a quick and easy way! 
How many times did you see and think Green just by reading this.  Tell us how this concept worked for you! Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at: PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                         Thank you!  

                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                          All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
                                       Please keep the entire message intact, including
                                            contact, logo, and copyright information.
                 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission       
                                                 please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
0 Comments

SOMETHING ABOUT YOGEE

2/5/2016

6 Comments

 
Picture
SOMETHING ABOUT YOGEE

I wanted a Yorkie.
Looking at the puppies I picked one to hold and see what kind of personality she had.
But, there was this Shih Tzu that pulled me closer.

My mind kept saying, I want a Yorkie.

With determination and intention, the Shih Tzu knocked the Yorkie out of the way and got right in my face as if to say,
          “There is no question here who     
             you belong to…it’s me!”

 Looking in her eyes I knew…
     There was something about Yogee.

She was 27 days old when she came home with me.  A tiny fur ball of delight that I hid in my pet-free apartment.  Well, until I received the letter stating that I had 30 days to get rid of the dog or move out.
 
Yogee and I loved our new home.  I called it the house that Yogee built, after all it was because of her that I purchased it.

Yogee loved everyone and quickly became a part of everyone’s life.  My kids, friends and the man in my life.
She was 7 when my youngest son passed away. She loved him and he loved her.  Yogee sat on my lap for weeks and we grieved together.
We meditated together.
We survived together.
     There was something about Yogee.

When she was 10 she had what seemed like a stroke.  She collapsed and didn’t  recognize anyone or her surroundings.  Rushing her to the animal hospital an hour away panic increased with every minute.   Leaving her there and saying goodbye for the night I was convinced I may never see her again.

The next day I received a call that I could pick her up.  The veterinarian came out carrying a perky, tail-wagging Yogee acting as if she had just been enjoying a spa day.

For over half of her life Yogee suffered from a heart murmur and a degenerating heart valve.  She would experience fainting and seizures if she became too excited.  Every time I held my breath frightened and every time she would pop up and look at me as if nothing happened.  Her entourage of veterinarians, dog sitters, acupuncturist and groomers were amazed at her ability to always rally from health issues.

Her favorite vet called her, “Remarkable.”
This became our mantra for her – of course she will be fine, she is Remarkable!
    There was something about Yogee.
 
When I married that “man in my life,” we became a little triangle of a family.  Our plans, our travel, our world revolved around keeping Yogee safe, happy and healthy. We wouldn’t of had it any other way.

My husband told her daily that she was, “Everything Good” – an accurate statement.  Yogee brought, “everything good” into our lives.
 
In her last months she began to lose weight and slowed down, but she never missed a chance to follow me around the kitchen as I cooked, greet friends and family or share my popcorn as we watched movies.

She stayed longer than anyone expected. Fifteen years, 8 months and 17 days.

I believe it was to take care of me.
Too take care of my husband and our family.  She took her job of loving us as her life purpose.  I believe her tenacity to beat all the odds was driven by her will to live.  Her commitment to her life purpose. She did it with grace, patience and care.
She taught us loyalty was unconditional and love was forever. Through the hardest of times and happiest of occasions, she was there.

I held her as she slipped away.
I felt her little body fill with calmness –
relief – release - peace.
I had never felt closer to her than in that moment.
I could feel the tearing of my heart as pain ripped through.  At the same time a lava of love began bubbling up through my breaking heart and spilling out of the brokenness in a flow of gratitude for being the lucky one that was chosen by Yogee.

Dogs don’t stay with us long enough.
I believe we are all here to learn, teach and love.  Dogs love with such intense unconditional love.
Maybe that is why they don’t stay long…. They can only love at that level of intensity for a short period of time.

If we have soul families, and I believe we do, she is definitely in mine. Souls come into our lives in unexpected ways.
Yogee only knew one way – love.

She chose me to teach, to guide and to share that love with.

Her blanket remains on the foot of my bed.
I feel her in my home and in my heart.

She (and I) may have released her body,
but our souls will never release each other.
     There is something about Yogee.
 
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
 “We don’t always choose the souls that change our lives.  Sometimes they choose us.” 
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                            Yogee Soo
                 May 9, 2000- Jan. 25, 2016
 YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to share my love for Yogee and join you in the love of your fur family. 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                              Thank you!  
                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                          All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
                                       Please keep the entire message intact, including
                                            contact, logo, and copyright information.
                 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission       
                                                 please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
                                                                             Thank you!
6 Comments

1300 LESSONS I TOOK 55 YEARS TO LEARN

1/22/2016

0 Comments

 
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1300 LESSONS
 I TOOK 
55 YEARS 
TO LEARN

1.  Make friends on the playground or stand alone - Learn to Love Change!

I grew up in a military family, which meant I would just make friends in school and it was time to move- again. At the time I believed this was child abuse, but it taught me how to build relationships, grow friendships and hone the ability to accept and love change. 

2.  Don’t wish your life away!

I remember how I couldn't wait to be thirteen.  My Mom said, “Don’t wish your life away.”  That didn't pacify me at the time, but now 43 very quick years later I understand the wisdom in that statement. 

 3.  I love Brussels sprouts! I really do! 

I hated Brussels sprouts for 54 years.  The truth is I had never tried one.  Not long ago I did.  I have been trying to make up for lost time ever since.  The moral here is – you can’t hate what you haven’t tried and you can’t judge what you haven’t lived. Let that statement simmer a minute.  

4.  Don’t tell anyone you are on a diet! 

If you need to make a life change like losing weight or changing jobs you may need a support group or career coach, but don’t tell anyone else.  People will scrutinize every pound you lose (and gain), every job you apply for and every rejection letter you receive.  If they don’t know, when you have set backs and disappointments they won’t magnify your defeat.  Wait until you have good news to share and let them celebrate the victory with you.  

5.  Know when to say NO and when to say YES!

For years I said, “Yes” to everyone and every request for my energy and time. After suffering a few creative stress induced illnesses I learned that I couldn't do it all and I wasn't Wonder Woman.  I learned how to say, “No” when I needed to.  I also learned to say, “Yes” to myself.

6.  Not everyone likes me! 

What is not to like about me? I was the people pleasing cocker spaniel that when I got kicked wanted to jump up and lick the face of the kicker to prove that I was sweet, kind and deserving of love. The reality is – not everyone likes cocker spaniels!
There are enough people who do and those are the ones I spend my time liking and loving. Don’t waste your time trying to prove yourself to anyone who just doesn't like you. 

7.  Do what you LOVE!

Don’t waste a precious moment of time doing work you hate.  Do what brings you joy and contentment.  If you can’t do it full time do it as a hobby, but do what you love! 

8.  Know when to risk and know when to let go!

I owned Apple stock when it was $22 a share and sold it at $24. Big mistake!  This is a perfect example of doing this wrong.  Knowing when to hold something and when to let it go is an intuitive skill that I believe grows with listening to your inner voice when it tells you to run down the street after them yelling, “I love you!” or to turn and walk away as the sun sets and the credits roll. 

9.  Take care of yourself!

Being healthy matters, so control what you can. Just like you take care of your car by cleaning it, getting checkups and supplying it with quality fuel, take care of the body that carries your soul in the same way.  Once you hit the mile markers of  40, 50, 55 and beyond you will be happy you did!

10. Be quiet and listen.

Meditation saved my life. 
Sit alone and in silence. Listen to your heart.  Listen to the silence.  You will be amazed at what you hear!

 11. We are all one phone call away from our knees.

It happens to everyone.  When the phone rings and the message of loss is delivered, you will be on your knees. With the aid of love and grace we will stand back up stronger than before.  Once this hard lesson has been learned your heart will expand with the love required to support others when they fall.

12.  Every moment we choose the path of Fear or Faith.

We are constantly given the choice of walking the path of fear of failure or the path of faith in the future.  The road of faith is a much happier road to travel.  Choose faith! 

13.  Gratefulness leads to love and yes, Love is the answer to every question!  

Being here in this body, on this Earth and at this time is a privilege. Be humbled by the magnitude of it. Do not take anything for granted. Be grateful for every moment, every breath, every experience and every lesson learned; Being grateful leads to living in a space of love.
The most important lesson and the basis for all the lessons I have learned is LOVE!
Life begins and ends with love. 
Love yourself.
Love others.
Love animals.
Love nature.
With every breath be grateful for being here to love.
That’s it, bottom line… Love your heart out!

I do realize that was 13 lessons and not 1300, but most of them took me 100 or more experiences to learn, so I am giving myself extra credit.

Learn YOUR lessons well.
Happy Living!

                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...
            What lessons have you learned?  Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below.  Thank you!
                                                          All Rights Reserved
                                          Copyright © 2013-2016 Pennie Hunt
                                   This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                Feel free to forward this post.
                             Please keep the entire message intact, including
                                    contact, logo, and copyright information.
                 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission       
                                         please email: Penniehunt@gmail.com
                                                                          Thank you!
                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
0 Comments

LIFE DOESNT HAPPEN THAT WAY

1/14/2016

11 Comments

 

You won't want to miss hearing this audio! 
With A Special Message from my son! 

Picture
LIFE DOESN’T HAPPEN THAT WAY

Today I should be celebrating my son’s birthday.
There should be cake and candles.  Laughter and joy.
But life doesn’t happen that way.

Today I should be able to pick up the phone to call him and hear his voice.
But life doesn’t happen that way.

Today I should be watching his life grow, his family grow, and his future grow.
But life doesn’t happen that way.

My vision for my son was one of college, career and carefree living.
But life doesn’t happen that way.

My plan was for happy-ever-after.  It didn’t include the phone call, the tragedy, grief or loss. 
But life doesn’t happen that way.

Life isn’t a straight line to a story book ending.  No one is given that luxury.
Life is a novel with twists and turns, ups and downs, happy and sad, birth and death.

We gladly settle in with our book of life, carefully opening it with anticipation, never really knowing how it will end.
Chapter after chapter we move forward through the happy times, joyous experiences, interesting characters and plots.

We squint and hold our breath through the times of uncertainty, fear and consuming heartbreak all the while hoping that in the end we will ride into a beautiful sunset.

The reality is, we never know how long the book will be or the exact outcome.
One chapter or ninety nine, it is the not knowing that creates the sweet mystery of life. 
This is how life happens.

Today I will be celebrating my son’s birthday.  There will be photographs and memories.  Laughter and tears.
This is how life happens.

Today I will pick up the phone and listen to the last voice mail he left on my machine – just so I can hear his voice tell me that life is great!
This is how life happens.

Today I look at his photo and spend time with his daughter- watching her grow, watching her future grow- without him.
This is how life happens.

My son’s book was short.
My vision will be of him forever 22.
Smiling, laughing with his friends, brother and sister, playing guitar and holding his infant daughter.
This is how life happens.

Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Life doesn’t always happen the way we think it should.  It happens in ways that teach us patience, kindness, love and acceptance.” 
                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to accept all that happens in life - even though it may not be how we want it to happen.
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                Thank you!  
                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~                                

J.T.
​ 1985-2007
Forever 22

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                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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When it comes to love, Anything Will Help!

12/18/2015

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When it comes to love, Anything Will Help!

I turned the corner to head home after doing my weekly errands.  I noticed at the street light ahead there was a man holding his cardboard sign that read,
          “Anything will help.” 

Pulling up next to him I rolled down my window and handed him one of my coffee shop gift cards that I carry just for occasions like this.  I explained to him where the coffee shop was and that he could get something hot to drink and eat on this cold day.

After he said, “Thank YOU,” for the third time our eyes met and I believe in that second he felt love.  

In that moment I felt love.  I felt the love being returned from him and I also felt love for myself for showing kindness.  

Love works that way.

If we don’t see love we can’t be love.  In the moment he looked at me he understood that the gift card held more than a cup of coffee and a sandwich, it held love.

When he looked in my eyes and saw love, he mirrored the love back to me filling me up with love from him and magnifying the love I hold inside of myself.  Once we see love, we can BE love.  

How many times do we have the opportunity to show love for others to see?  The answer is constantly!

Love is not just for special celebrations or certain holidays.  Love is for every moment of every day.  The more love we show, the more love others see, the more love they can be filled with and the more love they show to others.  This is the pay-it-forward of the heart.  

We see this mirrored magnification work all the time…. If you show anger, others show anger and it spreads.  If you see fear, you become fear and it grows.


Why would we want to waste our time on that?  

Become what you want more of.
Become Love.
Show love.

It’s easy to show it with flowers, gifts and in big ways.  It is harder to show it in every moment in small ways.


Be the love that others see.
Even showing small amounts of love will be mirrored back to you.
When it comes to love, Anything Will Help! 
                 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
      “When you become the love that others    
​       see  love will be mirrored back to you.” 
                  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to share love this holiday season- and every day!  It costs nothing, but can mean the world to someone in need of love.   
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                Thank you!  
                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                                    All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
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                                                                             Thank you!
                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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WHO IS CHAUFFEURING YOUR LIFE? 

12/4/2015

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WHO IS CHAUFFEURING YOUR LIFE? 

Our lives are driven by stories.
We travel the road yielding to them as they climb into the back seat.

We turn left, we turn right and choose the forks in the road that we hope will lead us to our happily ever after.
With every turn we pick them up.
A story here.
A story there. 

Some are interesting.  Some are scary.  Some are fun.  Some we want to lock in the trunk and forget. They all merge together to create the book of our life.

Occasionally we are jolted to completely stop at a red light and a story forces its way into the front seat with us. 

Some are powerful and push us out of our driver’s seat and  takes over as the chauffeur of our lives. The story becomes the theme that overshadows all the other stories and events that we experience.

The story becomes who we are.

Every turn we make is because of the story.

Every decision is because of the story.  

For you, this may be a happy chauffeur taking you to just the right places – school, a career, a life partner, children and success.  The chauffeur takes you on the drive you hoped for and the life story you dreamt of.  

Or, the story may be one of grief, desperation, loss, or despair.  The story is sad and takes over your life.  You no longer have control of the wheel.
The story has control and circles you as if you are stuck in a round-a-bout reliving the tragedy over and over.  You feel like you can’t put on the brakes or turn a different direction. 

We all have experienced stories of good and bad; happiness and sadness.  It is up to us to melt our stories into a collective balance for our life.  Don’t allow an event or tragedy to lock you into park or worse-- navigate you to a dark, dead end street. 

Decide who you want to chauffeur your life.  Take control of your stories.
Each one can be told from many perspectives.
Concentrate on the great stories and look for ways to see lessons and grace in your challenging ones.
Keep your steering wheel balanced and driving happily through your life. 

Who is chauffeuring your life?  
                ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
 
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
       “Don’t allow one event or tragedy to                                  drive your life.
    Take control of your own steering wheel.”


             ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about the life stories you repeat over and over allowing them to define what your life is and  who you are.  Are they the stories you want to be in control of that?  Hmmmmm...
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                Thank you!  
                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                                    All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
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                 If you have any questions or comments, or for reprint permission       
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                                                                             Thank you!
                    ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


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THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE

11/22/2015

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THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE

During this time of thankfulness I ask that we, together, place our hands over our heart center and recognize how different we are –and yet very much the same.

Whatever religion you align with or light that you follow –we can all move together toward a common goal of gratitude.

As you hold your hands over your heart center, recognize that whatever our talents, our dreams, our backgrounds, or our life situations we can all join in the grace of gratitude. 

Be grateful for our individuality and also        for our common bond;

Be grateful for our families and friends    
who are with us and those who have gone before us;

Be grateful for animals, plants and all living things that love, nurture and nourish us;

Be grateful for our occupations and the impact our work has on others – and ourselves;

Be grateful for the beauty that surrounds us created both by nature and by human hands;

Be grateful for the smallest of moments and the grandest of experiences;

Be grateful for our bodies that carry us through the lessons we are here to learn; 

Be grateful for our breath and the rhythmic in and out of our life power;

Be grateful for the flow of pure love and the spirit of life that runs through us. 

May our love be strengthened and our lives be broadened as we move together - in grace - toward a common goal of gratitude.  

Blessings to us all. 

               ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~  ~

Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Allow the flow of pure love and the spirit of life that runs through us all to fill you with the Grace of Gratitude.”
YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to be grateful this week and all the days of your life! 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                                Thank you!  
                   ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                                    All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
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                                                                             Thank you!
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SOUL SLAPS AND AIRBAG MOMENTS

11/6/2015

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BE THANKFUL FOR SOUL SLAPS AND AIRBAG MOMENTS 

You are driving along the boulevard of life believing everything is fine and then
WAM! BAM! ...
in one flash the airbag goes off in your face and for a moment of unconscious confusion you don't know what happened,
 how it happened or
 why it happened, …but it changes everything.

These airbag moments slap your soul in a life altering second when the world stops and our thinking is forever realigned.

Life is instantly, and permanently, categorized as before and after.  Your brain files all memories of the past and visions of the future in relation to the moment… it changes everything.

The slaps are at times harsh heart jabbing events and at times joyous celebrations.

The moment your child is born.

The phone call that brings you to your knees.

The last walk from the office as you change careers or life stages.

The undeniable mistake that can't be reversed.

The receiving of life, love and happiness ....or the ripping away of the same.

These all cause a slap to the soul that says, "WAKE UP!"

Wake up to see what you had, what you have and what you will be given.

Wake up to be thankful for it all and for the time you held it.

Wake up to understand that THIS moment is the moment that counts and don't take the people or experiences in your life for granted.

No one journeys through this life without Soul Slaps and Airbag Moments.  There is no secret bubble of protection that shields us from the vulnerability of being stricken.

Peace comes from learning to appreciate the Soul Slaps as lessons that move our journey forward.
The breaking open of our hearts creates space for love to expand and being brought to our knees, by pain or joy, forces us to lift our heads and look up instead of down.
The understanding of this will bring the calmness required to heal. 

Pennie's Life Lesson:
"Be thankful for Soul Slaps and the ability to see the lessons in both the joyous and the jabbing." 

YOUR TURN...         
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to see the lessons in all life altering events-- good and bad. 
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below .  And please feel free to email me  at:
 PennieHunt@gmail.com. 
                                                Thank you!  
            ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
                                                                    All Rights Reserved
                                                      Copyright © 2013-2015 Pennie Hunt
                                       This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
                                                             Feel free to forward this post.
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                                                                             Thank you!
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<<Previous

    Author

    There is a certain magic about where I live both physically and spiritually – on the crossroads of Spirit and Brave. 

    It seems appropriate that my writings be found under the sign that locates my life.  I wish for all of you the ability to live in your Spirit to experience a life filled with love and gratitude and be Brave in the learning of your life lessons. 

    Enjoy!
            Pennie

     

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