 I fell down. I am not sure how, but my entire body fell to the ground. My knees took a hard hit followed by the rest of my body as it stretched out on the dirty concrete sliding (less than gracefully) until I put my hands out to stop myself. My suitcase and purse fell over next to me. Lying on my belly, arms reaching forward and my legs behind in a childlike Slip-n-Slide position. I was confused and stunned. There were no signs of a hole or bump, nothing that I slipped on. I just fell down. One minute I was thanking the shuttle driver, handing him a tip, pushing my suitcase and the next minute I was flat on the dirty concrete. I felt like a fish that had just been taken out of the safety of its pond and thrown floundering on the shore. I quickly got up, told the shuttle driver I was fine and moved toward the curbside check in. Every step I took was slow and precise. After dropping my suitcase off I found the first rest room in the airport to see if my knees were intact under my jeans and wash the dirt off my red sore hands. Minor scratches were all my body incurred, but my ego and confidence were silently damaged. I sat on the plane during my flight reliving what happened. How it happened and why it happened. I didn’t have the answers, but I knew I felt vulnerable. I am grateful that I wasn’t really hurt. I know a broken wrist is common when you put your hands out to stop a fall. The way my knees hit I could have damaged them. I could have hit my head. My scuffed knees and sore hands will heal and my confidence and ego will recover. We have all fallen in many different ways. Falls happen in life. Most happen when we least expect it. We don’t see it coming. We aren’t prepared. The best we can do is slide through it as gracefully as possible, pick ourselves up, wash our hands and keep going. This is how we learn. It is in the falling, failing and floundering that we move forward. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “When you fall down in life, pick yourself up, wash your hands and keep going.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie Heart to Heart FREE FALLING YOUR TURN... My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to understand that we all fall in life- in may areas, work, relationships, personal expectations.... it is how we get up, shake it off and move forward that counts. 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 and share this post. Please keep the entire message intact, including contact, logo, and copyright information.
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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.
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. 
Q-Tip It!
Years ago when my husband and I were dating I learned a powerful lesson. He would occasionally say something like, “I need a couple of days.” Of course I immediately took this personally and thought something was wrong. I would call him and stop by his house to see if he was okay, after all I must have said or done something to upset him. He would assure me I hadn't and that it didn't have anything to do with me or “us.” I soon realized he was right. It didn't have anything to do with me. We just have different ways of recharging. He needs downtime. He needs a quiet respite to rest, relax and regenerate. For me, when I need recharging I feed on the energy of being with people. Talking, laughing and companionship regenerates me, so of course when he would tell me he needed time to himself I felt pushed away. I took it personally. How many times in life do we take things personally and the reality is that it has nothing to do with us? Whenever a stressful situation occurs many of us default immediately to the negative. We blame ourselves. Let’s look at it differently. Let go of the immediate assumption and realize it isn't always about us…it could always be something else that causes someone to be cranky, in a hurry or snap at us. Here is a trick to help with this self-inflicted internalization of stress. Q-tip it! Yes, Q-tip it! Quit Taking It Personally! As a reminder, take a couple of Q-Tips and tape them to your computer, your bathroom mirror, or your car visor. Look at them often and when something happens in life that sets off your internal blame game, remember to Q-Tip it! The lesson I learned from my (now) husband all those years ago has saved me from many hours of needless worry. It isn't always about me. And guess what, now we recharge using what works for both of us. We recharge together, laughing, talking and in the quiet space of each other’s companionship. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie’s Life Lesson: “When the stress of life sets off your internal blame game, Q-tip it! Quit Taking It personally!” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
YOUR TURN...
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to think about why things upset you... are you taking it personally when it has nothing to do with 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 © 2013-2018 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. 
IMPORTANT
ENOUGH I didn’t feel quite right when I woke up, but I had a “To Do” list that was heavier than the increased throbbing of my head. I hustled through my shower and scurried my two dogs to the groomer. I met a friend for a quick breakfast and then my plan included grocery shopping, blog writing, cleaning out a closet… the list went on. My husband would be returning from a trip just in time to make our dinner reservations. It was a busy day. But none of that happened. My stomach immediately began swirling after breakfast and my body quickly began a downward spiral. I am not one to get sick. I NEVER get sick. Well, more accurately, I NEVER allow myself the time to be sick. Typically I push through days like this ignoring the discomfort of a headache or a cold. Rarely do I ever admit that I don’t feel well. I decided I would go back home and lay down for an hour and then I would be fine and right back into my list. I called my husband and told him my plan. He said, “Why put an hour limit on it… just go back to bed until you feel better.” It was a head game for a while with that voice telling me, you don’t feel that bad, you have things to do, people depending on you.. get up ….GET UP! The concept of actually allowing myself time to heal was foreign to me, but as the hour turned into two and my body was continuing into a dark circle of ugliness I conceded. I was going to do it this time. I was going to sink into the safety of my bed allowing my body to heal instead of pushing it as if it wasn’t important enough to take care of..as if "I" wasn’t important enough to take care of. My husband called and said he was coming home early to pick up the dogs, cancel the dinner reservation and take care of everything. The urge to argue was muffled by my meek, “ok.” I needed help. My head sunk further into the comfort of my pillow and my body deepened into the cocoon of my bed. I allowed myself to rest. After 7 hours I attempted hot tea, a piece of toast and juice. Then it was back to my bed for 12 hours. As the sun came up on day two I moved to the couch. The concept of being vertical was not yet in my body’s plan. Although I encourage others to practice self-care, sometimes I am not very good at it myself. After 48 hours of blurred memories are behind me one concept became very clear. It is ok to ask for help. It is ok to be sick. It is ok to allow your body time to rest, restore and heal. I am important enough to be taken care of. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie Life Lesson: “Listen to your body. Allow yourself time to rest, restore and heal.” ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
My intent in sharing this with you is to encourage you to be kind to yourself. Take care of yourself. Allow yourself time to heal.
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 © 2013-2018 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.  RISK FOR LOVE My husband has been called a Stand-Up-Guy. He is grand in stature, grand in his life accomplishments, grand in his thinking and quietly grand in his giving. He has a saying, “If you’re going to risk, risk for love.” We have many opportunities in life to risk- the stock market, gambling, new business ventures. But let’s look at the times we risk for love. When you tell a potential life partner that you love them or ask them to marry you there is a chance for rejection. We risk life as we know it when we bring a child into the world. And once they are here we would risk anything to help them and keep them safe. If you tell a friend you love them there is a risk of shocking them, being uncomfortable or being told you are odd. People are not used to this kind of verbal affection. We risk our emotions when we adopt a pet knowing they will reach in, imprint our hearts and then leave us long before we are ready to see them go. When loving ourselves we are critical and question whether we are good enough or deserving of self-care and self-love. Even when doing acts of loving kindness there is the risk of being misunderstood or having your motives judged. When you love there is risk. Love anyway. Love loud. Love bold. Love in every moment. Love with all the breath you have in your soul. Love until it trembles your very reason for living. My husband is a Stand-Up-Guy. He lives his life in a conservative understated way. He believes in researching, weighing all options and knowing the odds. He rarely takes chances; however at a time when we thought our relationship was over he took the risk. He made the phone call. He began the conversation which led to our happy marriage. He believes in risking for love. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie's Life Lesson - “If you’re going to risk, risk for love!" ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Pennie Heart to Heart |
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PLEASE NOTE: This page does not provide medical or legal advice, professional diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services to you or to any other individual. Through this site and links to other sites, Pennie Hunt provides general information for inspiration, encouragement and educational purposes only. The information provided in this site, or through links to other sites, is not a substitute for legal, medical, or professional care, and you should not use the information in place of a visit, call or the advice of your lawyer, physician or other healthcare provider. |