The Corner of Spirit & Brave

WHERE DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?

3/31/2021

If I asked you where you spend your time what would your answer be? Many of us have calendars, schedules, and agendas where we plan what we will spend our time on. How much thought do we give to where we spend our time? I don’t mean geographic locations or vacation spots.
I mean, where are you spending your time – in the past, the present, or the future?

We have all experienced being with someone who isn’t in the present moment. We have had conversations with people who are looking around the room in hopes of seeing or talking to someone else. They don’t hear the conversation or engage in the meaning of your words because they are too busy thinking of what might happen next.

We may know someone who is stuck spending time in the past. They relive regrets, what-ifs, and lost opportunities to the point of missing the beauty of the current life they could be enjoying.

Maybe we see ourselves in one of those scenarios.

Some of this depends on age and life experiences. If you are young you may naturally spend time looking ahead to plan a future, a family, and your retirement. If you are mature, you may naturally be spending time reliving memories of loved ones you have lost and experiences you have had.

A problem arises when living in the past or future is a barrier to living in the present. We can be so obsessed with work, saving money, or planning for retirement that we miss our children growing up. We can be so encased in the sadness or grief of the past that we cannot feel the joy, happiness, and freshness of the life we are experiencing now.

At any age you can, as they say, Be Here Now! You can pay attention to the moment you are in. You can truly hear the words being spoken to you. You can clearly see the sky, the sunrise, and the sunset. You can take a moment to taste the bite of food in your mouth. You can intimately feel the hand you are holding. You can deeply breathe the breath as it enters and exits your body. You really can spend your time in the present moment.

We cannot change the past, but we can appreciate the lessons we have learned and use them to have a fuller and more complete life now. Life is not predictable. We cannot know how many years we will be here. Planning your education path or creating a retirement plan is a responsible action but obsessing about what your future holds is time wasted on unnecessary worry.

Without the ability to alter the past and no guarantee of a future, the only certainty we have is the present moment.
Where will you spend your time?

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Don’t spend so much of your time reliving the past or daydreaming about the future that you miss the gift of life you are living in this moment.”

Pennie Heart to Heart
WHERE DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?

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!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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Copyright © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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DON’T LET TYPOS BECOME YOUR TATTOOS

3/26/2021

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Years ago, when social media opened a whole new world to us, I was intimidated. I wasn’t exactly sure how it worked, but I tip-toed in. I created a Facebook page.
I would think about a message for hours before I hit the post button. Then I would be nervous wondering who was reading it, if they liked it, if it meant anything to them.
I also managed to master the magic of text messaging.
One day I was ranting via text to my daughter about how I had found a typo in one of my Facebook posts. In the beginning, text posts were impossible to edit. I was upset with myself. After all, how could I have missed something so simple and hit the post button which instantly transported my mistake to the world of Facebook and its billion users? I was embarrassed and frustrated.

After a few back-and-forth acronym filled text interactions, she hit me with,
“It just shows u r human and anyway people are already liking your post.”

We were both traveling in different parts of the country and I had little time to fuss with it, so I closed my iPad and went on with my day. But the typo continued to harass my mind. My daughter’s text, “It just shows u r human,” played mental push back to my self-inflicted criticism.

Then it hit me – she was right! It was just a typo. A slide of my finger that hit one letter over from the one I intended. One hit of a key on my keyboard. It wasn’t as if that one keystroke was going to be tattooed on me as a permanent mark of shame across my forehead that read – I MADE A MISTAKE!

In an hour it was lost in the stream of Facebook banter and hardly noticed. The Facebook users who received it had let it go in minutes, maybe seconds, and continued to move on through the river of messages that flowed through their screens. So why didn’t I let it go as well?

How many times in life do we turn simple forgettable life typos into permanently inked tattoos that mark us for months, years or longer? So much of our life dramas are really small insignificant issues that we allow to be blown into tragedy by telling and retelling the story of how it happened, criticizing ourselves for why it happened, and bemoaning the outcome as if it were a monumental life-changing event. Most of them are not.

Now years later, I still cringe when there is a typo in my writings or social messaging. I still get embarrassed and frustrated when I make mistakes in life. But I have learned when to call a typo just a typo and not a tattooed mark of shame. We all need to allow ourselves to be seen as human.
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Release the small mistakes in life – allow yourself to be human.”

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It's All Communication

3/17/2021

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In the past year, communication has changed. We have learned how to interact virtually. Screens have replaced face-to-face conversations. This has been a blessing, and at the same time so much is lost in this type of interaction. I was reminded of an experience I had several years ago and how important communication is.

We sat in a circle on the floor of my office. My daughter, her three sons, an 8-year-old and twin 5-year-olds, my 10-year-old granddaughter, and me. In an effort to slow down the running, romping, and squealing that usually occurs after dinner at my home I decided to introduce the Telephone Game.

I explained the rules-
To begin the first person in our circle would whisper a word or phrase into the ear of the person sitting next to them. They would listen and turn to whisper it to the person next to them and so on around the circle. The last player would then say the word or phrase out loud so everyone could hear.

They thought this was simple enough and as each whisper passed from mouth to ear the certainty of what they were saying beamed on their faces. It wasn’t until the first round had been completed and the initial
    “Gracie the dog is cute and furry” morphed into,
    “Gracie is a hog that eats in a hurry.”
Then the laughter exploded and they understood why this game was fun. Only one word from the original message had been communicated correctly.

In a perfect world, every message would be relayed to the receiver with accurate precision. They would understand the full meaning as the speaker expected. The speaker would be confident that their message was heard with the correct intention.
This is not the way communication works.

I have this line I say almost daily,
       "It’s All Communication.”
Everything in life comes back to communication.

We are born as communicators, crying and squealing as we take our first breath. We learn to understand the meaning of words, facial expressions, and emotions. We mimic them to be accepted and to gain what we desire. We learn how to use our voice and body to verbally and non-verbally communicate happiness, joy, love, and fear.

With age we learn to hide our true feelings and muffle our emotions. Communication begins taking over in streams filling our mailboxes, inboxes, and lives. The overwhelming amount of information becomes blurred as it layers in our minds. We try to decipher what is true and what is gossip and repeat what we believe we heard. We repeat second or third-hand stories that become skewed in the retelling.

Communication becomes complicated. And so, begins the grown-up version of the Telephone Game. Listening, repeating, listening, repeating.

We assume what we say is understood by the person we communicate with.
Many times it is not.
We assume we hear information correctly.
Many times we don’t.
We assume what we hear is true.
Many times it isn’t.

Communication, the lack of communication or misunderstood communication is the cause of all of life’s problems. Fights, divorce, anger, hatred, battles – big and small all come back to communication.

How different would the world be if we asked the person we were communicating with if they understood what we said?
How different would the world be if we repeated back to the speaker what we believe we heard and asked for validation that we were receiving the message correctly?
How different would the world be if we communicated honesty, trust, respect, and kindness?
How different would the world be if we didn’t repeat distorted gossip, half-truths, and rumors?
How different would the world be if the whispers at the beginning of the game were repeated in the exact way it was intended creating a complete circle of accurate truthful understanding?
Words have power.
It’s all communication!
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “It’s ALL Communication!”

Pennie Heart to Heart
IT'S ALL COMMUNICATION

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STOP FEEDING THE GREEN MONSTER

3/13/2021

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Art by Riley Hannes

Are you green with envy? Do you begin stewing over why someone else has advantages that you don’t? Do you tally up other people’s achievements, abilities, or possessions and compare them to yours?

Does an emotional rivalry push you to a deep and disturbing point of raw jealousy because someone else has a friendship or romantic attachment that you wish you had… or that you fear losing?

Your coworker has the job you want, just because they carry around a big heavy master’s degree that you don’t have. Your neighbor has the car you want, and his house is remodeled in a way you would love yours to be – not to mention how green his yard is. You are the bridesmaid for the 4th time wondering why others get the perfect man when you haven’t met a prince yet. Your best friend stopped calling and then you see on social media that she is out having fun with others and not you.

All these scenarios feed an unhealthy green monster that, left unchecked, can take over your thoughts and common sense. I have a solution for you.

The next time you feel your mind and heart heating up from that green monster, step back and look at the big picture. Tell yourself if you are envious of one thing a person has, for example their job, and wish you had it, then you must wish for everything else in their life. Maybe they have a great job, but their health is poor. If you wish you had that great job, tell yourself that poor health comes with it. If you are jealous of a relationship your friend has with her husband, tell yourself, then you must wish for everything to be like theirs. Maybe they have a great relationship, but they hate their jobs or they struggle financially.

You see, no one has a perfect life. I am known as the “Happiness Lady,” but that doesn’t mean my life is perfect. If you envy Pennie Hunt’s happy life and wish you had it, you will have to learn how to work at being happy. When you look at the big picture would you want my entire life, negative experiences and all? You would need to adapt to everything in my life- living through a divorce, dealing with the traumatic car collision I was in, and waking up every morning with the realization that my child passed away. No one has a life free of struggles.

Art by Brady Hannes

You will always be able to find someone who has more, is more successful, and does more than you. You will always be able to find someone who has less, is less successful, and does less than you. The comparison game is what causes envy and jealousy. We compare our situation to the good fortune of others. We see the tragedy in our life as unfair. The reality is, we all have tragedy in some form. Stop feeding the green monster by comparing your life situation to others.

The antidote for envy and jealousy is gratitude. Stop looking at what you don’t have and look at what you do have. Until you are grateful for what you do have you will never have more.
Your problems won’t magically disappear, and a new car won’t miraculously appear in your driveway, but by counting your blessings your mind will be in a positive place of gratitude instead of the negative space of envy and jealousy.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: Until you are grateful for what you do have you will never have more.

Pennie Heart to Heart
STOP FEEDING THE GREEN MONSTER

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THE WRITING ON THE WALL

3/6/2021

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Years ago I put a decal on the wall of my family room that said, “Learn, Laugh, Love.” I thought it was a wonderful thought to see every day. My family teased me about it. Did I really need to be reminded to learn, laugh, and love? Doesn’t that just happen? Aren’t those things we all just do?

During this past year, I have watched more home decorating shows than I care to admit. I notice how many times the homes spotlighted have words used as art. Large wooden “EAT” signs hang in kitchens. “WASH” and “DRY” are decaled on the front of washers and dryers, and “EXIT” signs are hung over doors. In some homes, decals, metal art, posters, and paintings of words cover every table, wall, and shelf, turning the home into a maze of self-help reminders.

In full disclosure, as I write this, I am looking straight at my bookshelves where the words, grace, love, and believe, lean against books as if popping out from the pages making sure that I notice them. My “family” sign mingles with smiling faces on my photo wall. A gold glittered Christmas ornament hangs on my office lamp sparkling the word “Joy” into my world. And yes, my word for the year, “HOPE,” is taped to the side of my computer.

I will admit that I am a word person. You see, I believe there are word people and number people. Although numerology interests me and certain numbers catch my heart, I am not good at remembering the year something happened. That doesn’t mean I don’t remember the event. I can describe it to you in detail recreating the image and feeling of an experience by puzzling together words of color, sounds, smells, and textures. For the most part, words are much more interesting to me than numbers.

This popular fascination with decorating our home and lives with words had me thinking about why we do it. Do we need to see a word to be reminded to feel a certain feeling or act in a certain way? Today as I drove through town doing errands, passing buildings and parks, I thought of a new twist to this interest in words. What if when we see something instead of thinking the name of the place or object, we think of a word that will attach meaning to it. For example, we could begin associating the word safety when we see a fire station and silently thank the men and women who are first responders. Can we think of the word, blessing, when we see a church to remind us to be grateful? How about the word, growth, when we see a tree to remind us to reach our full potential? What if drinking a glass of water made us think of the word, hydration- something our bodies need to survive?

This became a game for me that continued throughout the day. The orange I ate for lunch brought to mind the word, health. The sound of a baby crying- life. Rain – replenishing. Friends – support and loyalty. Family equals, love.

Maybe we do need a few prompts in our lives to trigger responses, but wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if we trained ourselves to respond with positive thoughts and words to everything we see. If we did, I predict we would all learn, laugh, and love more - without needing the words to be written on our walls.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Choose the words that guide your life carefully.” Years ago I put a decal on the wall of my family room that said, “Learn, Laugh, Love.” I thought it was a wonderful thought to see every day. My family teased me about it. Did I really need to be reminded to learn, laugh, and love? Doesn’t that just happen? Aren’t those things we all just do?

During this past year, I have watched more home decorating shows than I care to admit. I notice how many times the homes spotlighted have words used as art. Large wooden “EAT” signs hang in kitchens. “WASH” and “DRY” are decaled on the front of washers and dryers, and “EXIT” signs are hung over doors. In some homes, decals, metal art, posters, and paintings of words cover every table, wall, and shelf, turning the home into a maze of self-help reminders.

In full disclosure, as I write this, I am looking straight at my bookshelves where the words, grace, love, and believe, lean against books as if popping out from the pages making sure that I notice them. My “family” sign mingles with smiling faces on my photo wall. A gold glittered Christmas ornament hangs on my office lamp sparkling the word “Joy” into my world. And yes, my word for the year, “HOPE,” is taped to the side of my computer.

I will admit that I am a word person. You see, I believe there are word people and number people. Although numerology interests me and certain numbers catch my heart, I am not good at remembering the year something happened. That doesn’t mean I don’t remember the event. I can describe it to you in detail recreating the image and feeling of an experience by puzzling together words of color, sounds, smells, and textures. For the most part, words are much more interesting to me than numbers.

This popular fascination with decorating our home and lives with words had me thinking about why we do it. Do we need to see a word to be reminded to feel a certain feeling or act in a certain way? Today as I drove through town doing errands, passing buildings and parks, I thought of a new twist to this interest in words. What if when we see something instead of thinking the name of the place or object, we think of a word that will attach meaning to it. For example, we could begin associating the word safety when we see a fire station and silently thank the men and women who are first responders. Can we think of the word, blessing, when we see a church to remind us to be grateful? How about the word, growth, when we see a tree to remind us to reach our full potential? What if drinking a glass of water made us think of the word, hydration- something our bodies need to survive?

This became a game for me that continued throughout the day. The orange I ate for lunch brought to mind the word, health. The sound of a baby crying- life. Rain – replenishing. Friends – support and loyalty. Family equals, love.

Maybe we do need a few prompts in our lives to trigger responses, but wouldn’t it be a wonderful world if we trained ourselves to respond with positive thoughts and words to everything we see. If we did, I predict we would all learn, laugh, and love more - without needing the words to be written on our walls.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Choose the words that guide your life carefully.”

Pennie Heart to Heart
THE WRITING ON THE WALL

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ALL THINGS GROW WITH LOVE

2/27/2021

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It was just a $3 journal.
I divided the pages into quarters marked by post-it notes. I wanted my year of writing to fit into one tidy book. A book of love.
After writing a brief introduction of what the book was, I began the first entry.
     January 1- Today I love you because…….
The next day I picked up the special book and wrote
      January 2nd- Today I love you because…
Then January 3rd; the 4th; and so it continued. The book became a friend that I looked forward to holding. A personal documentation of my love for him.

March 31st and I removed the first post-it note. The days paraded forward and my words filled the lines. Some days a sentence. Some days 2 pages. And I watched him. I watched what he did. How he moved. How he smelled. How he talked. I began delighting in finding new ways I loved him.

     June 30th, Today I love you because….. and another marker removed.
September 30th and the last post-it note was peeled away. My enthusiasm grew. I was really doing it! I could see the end in sight. I could visualize his face when I handed him this gift and feel what it would mean to him.

For a year I wrote. December 31, 2014 was a mix of excitement to be done and a feeling of loss for not having tomorrow to pen why I loved him.
I wrote:
“Well, here it is – the end of a year of writing why I love you. What seemed like a challenge at first, became a joy that I am sad to see end.
I began this project to show you how much I love and adore you…as a gift to YOU. What I didn’t expect was that it turned out to be a gift to me too! I found this journal stacked in my office – purchased years ago and tucked away with other journals I buy and save for just the right time. I had no idea a $3 purchase would become so important. As the title says, ‘All Things Grow With Love,’ filling this daily in my own writing and my own words has made my love for you grow!
The gift intended for you became a gift of love to me. Every day as I watched you, searching for the moments, the reasons, the actions that make me love you, opened my heart to join yours in ways I never expected. The reasons became simple and complicated, old reasons and discovered reasons, logical and crazy fun reasons!
I learned that the way you brush my cheek makes me feel cherished. I learned that a big tough 6’5” man that can be brought to his knees by a tiny furball of a dog is more sensitive than anyone I have ever known. I learned that you surprise me every day with your wisdom, logic and humor. I learned that when you hold my hand you give me strength and power. I learned that you show me love in flowers and rings, but also in cleaning the kitchen and loving our grand babies. I learned that on one day- yes, there was one day, when I was challenged to find a loving thought due to frustration, anger or disappointment – I can’t even remember why – but even that one day I found a reason to write why I love you. I learned that no matter what happens, where we are or circumstance we find ourselves that “Us Together” will find a way to work through it. I learned that I’m not perfect and you’re not perfect, but the perfection of love creates a space for patience, understanding and acceptance. I learned that your quirks can make me laugh and your tenderness can bring me to tears. I learned that the little boy inside of you still lives with his insecurities, his fears, his joys and his sorrows and at times his tantrums, but this little boy needs love and shares love. I learned that I love you for more reasons than a one year journal can hold. I realized after this year that every moment you give me reasons to love you more and I only hope I can reach that level of success by touching your heart the way you touch mine.
Yes, what began as a gift to you ended as a gift to me. With every moment, day, week and month that I watched you I fell in love with you over and over again. As the title says, “All Things Grow With Love,” --my love for you has grown.

I closed the book. My daily companion would now be placed in the hands of the man I love. I wrapped it in white tissue paper and carefully tied the glittery gold bow around it.

A bit confused by the unexpected gift, he opened the cover and read the introduction. Flipping pages he read through January before he looked up.
No words.
No words were needed.
I knew what it meant to him.
I knew what it meant to me.
The gift that in his words, had made him feel more loved than anything else in his life, now sits on his night stand. Every night before he goes to sleep, he reads the entry for that day and he is given a daily reminder of why I love him. He reads it out loud to me and I remember how I felt when I wrote it.
It was just a $3 journal that became my friend for a year.
It was just a $3 journal that became a lifetime treasure.
Yes, All Things DO Grow With Love!

Pennie's Life Lesson: "Don't wait to tell someone how you love them. Tell them every day!"

Pennie Heart to Heart
ALL THINGS GROW WITH LOVE

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Window Weather

2/17/2021

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The weather this winter has been extraordinary… not necessarily in a good way. Texas is experiencing 0° at night, frozen pipes, and power outages. Parts of the south are shoveling snow with over 4” in Dallas and Houston, and 10” in Little Rock, Arkansas. New England is experiencing storm after storm and the Midwest, where cold winters are a certainty, the -37° and colder chill factors are shocking.

Recently I heard the term - Window Weather. This is a common term in Iceland, but a new one to me. It is when the weather seems great when you are looking through a window from inside, but it is actually not so great when you step out into it. The weather outside is too cold, too hot, or too dangerous to be in and is best viewed from the safety of being inside and observing through a window hence the term, Window Weather.

Spending most of my life in areas where winter means cold, I am accustomed to watching out the window and assessing if I should venture outside or stay safely inside where I am warm and comfortable. I understand that winter can be beautifully deceptive. Looking through the windows in my sunroom, fireplace popping, and a warm mug of coffee in my hand, the snow looks inviting, the sun creates diamonds from snowflakes, and the breeze shivers the pine trees as if they are dancing. The yard aches for a snowman and children sledding. It is easy to feel the desire to fall into the Norman Rockwell, scene… until I look at the temperature. The 10° translates to a - 20° chill factor and that breeze will freeze unprotected skin in moments. It is definitely Window Weather.

What if we assessed life in the same way? What if we observed situations before we ran headfirst into them? Is it necessary that we jump in? Is it safe? Is it our problem?
It is much like window shopping where we browse through the glass at what is on display without an intention to buy. We don’t purchase everything we see and how many times have you had buyer's remorse from buying on impulse? (Those pink stilettos looked cool at a store in Las Vegas, but may not be worn often in Wyoming.)

Can we step back and look at life as if looking at it through a window that divides us from what is going on outside of our current warm and comfortable space? Can we step back before we jump into a confrontation and evaluate the importance of the outcome? Can we take our time getting to know someone before we commit to a deep friendship or relationship? Can we evaluate our dreams, goals, and heart before we begin a life journey that does not fit our values and beliefs?

Begin looking at life through an invisible window that allows us to view and admire the world without jumping into what possibly could be a mistake. Pausing for a moment to assess what may look sunny and appealing from your side of the window, may save you from regrettably venturing into what really is Window Weather.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Take a minute to observe people, situations, and even the weather before you jump into a situation you may regret.”

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THE BEAT OF MY HEART ...

2/12/2021

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,February is American Heart Awareness Month. I became acutely aware of my heart 7 years ago when I experienced quite a scare. I share this experience with you now, so that you become aware of how important heart health is. It may save your life.
This is my story…

I watched the clock as I walked on the treadmill. I had intentionally scheduled the stress test for 6 am, planning to drive the hour to my office and attend a 10 am meeting.

Suddenly I found myself laying on a hospital gurney with wires connected to a multitude of spots on my body and surrounded by a cardiology team. One doctor repeatedly asked me how I felt. I didn't feel bad until one of them said, “What your heart just did could be deadly and we want to take you upstairs.”
Confused by that comment and glancing at the clock once again, I knew I needed to be finished soon or I would miss my meeting. “What is upstairs?” I asked.

The explanation came quickly, “The rhythm your heart just did can be caused by one of two things- you have blockages, or your electrical firing system is not working correctly.”
Another voice jumped in with, “The only way we can rule out blockages is by doing a heart catheterization and we need to do it now.”

I explained that I was an hour from home, I had come to the hospital alone and oh, by the way I had a 10 am meeting to get to. Once again the two doctors played tag team with their responses, telling me I needed to get my husband there and that there was little chance of them letting me leave the room with this type of deadly rhythm. It was the third time I heard that word deadly that I asked them to please stop saying it and that I indeed wanted to call my husband.

The group left me alone to make the call. One cardiologist stood guard in the doorway watching me with a look of intense concern. The minute I put the phone down the group returned. The speed at which I found myself swept upstairs into a private room with two nurses monitoring me swirled my confusion even more.
I laid there watching a different clock tick the minutes away until my husband would arrive. Feverishly clicking away on my phone, I sent emails to my staff as I typed meeting cancelations and directions for the day. I sent texts to my children telling them the situation – at least what I knew.

Then I noticed that both nurses were constantly monitoring me and the machinery I was connected to. They never took their eyes off of me or left the room. I knew this wasn’t good.

Finally, I asked one of them, “What exactly happened to me?”
She placed one hand on my arm while keeping her eyes on the machine. “You experienced VTach – Ventricular Tachycardia. For most people who do that we have to bring them back with the paddles – if we get them back. You are very lucky.”
My phone slid out of my hand.

I vaguely remember the big screen which showed the dye running through my body and the doctor saying, “There it goes… that is beautiful… not one blockage.”

The rest of the day, the follow up appointments and the new heart monitor, that I learned to wear like an accessory to my daily wardrobe, is a blurred memory.

My new “Electric Guy,” as I call him, is the Cardiologist that keeps me, my heart’s electrical system, and my crazy rhythm controlled to avoid the mysterious fainting, bouts of weakness, and blood pressure drops like I had experienced over the years.

While researching VTach, I learned a few things about exercise, staying hydrated, and avoiding stairs. Then I came across the meaning of heart. Scrolling through the many medical definitions of this magical organ that pumps blood, I stopped on this:

Heart - noun \ˈhärt\: the central or innermost part of something; thought of as the place where emotions are felt.

This is it! The heart is more than the organ that pushes blood through our bodies. I believe it is the innermost part of us. It is the place where emotions are created, felt, and shared. I believe that heart health goes much deeper than changing your diet, lowering salt intake, and counting 10,000 steps per day.

I believe the heart has the power to push not only physical blood, but the lifeblood of love, kindness, and joy through our bodies. The care and health of our heart begins with feeling these emotions in order for the heart to pump them through our bodies and out into our lives. We must learn to respect these emotions, nurture, and grow them into feelings that help our heart function to its highest capacity.

Instead of worrying, I prefer to believe my heart has an eccentric rhythm… maybe not the same as everyone else’s, but it is unique, and it is mine. In addition to the list of heart healthy ideas we have all heard about, I support its emotional health by feeding it love, joy, and kindness every chance I get!

I try not to watch the clock anymore and the most important meeting I have is one where I am kind to someone, love someone, and joyfully feed my innermost self- my heart, the place where emotions are felt.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “The foundation for good heart health begins with expanding kindness, joy, and love in the innermost self – our own heart.”

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I AM A LOVE PUSHER!!

2/6/2021

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Here we are already flipping the calendar to a new month. February the month of love. I’d say it is about time. As the Burt Bacharach song goes,
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No not just for some, but for everyone. . .”

I am a believer in love. I believe love creates health, hope, and harmony. It heals hearts. As a believer, I like to think that I increase love in the world. I have a secret way of doing this that I am sharing with you today.

But first, let me ask you a question.
Are you a glass half-full kind of person?
Not me! I want my glass flowing to the brim, running over, and spilling a big sloppy mess on the table!

I want to be flooded with feelings of love, kindness, and compassion. I don’t want one little, tiny space available for hate, anger, bitterness, resentment, or fear.
Open your hand right now and look at it. What are you holding? Are you holding on to a past hurt; a past anger; a past failure; a fear? When you hold on to these emotions you don’t have room for love. Release it all. Fill your hands and your heart with love, kindness, and compassion.

You see, when you fill your space with love there is no vacancy for other emotions to move in. Hate, anger, bitterness, resentment can’t live where love, kindness, and compassion reside.

Now go one step further. PUSH love. Yes, PUSH love to others.

Here is how I do it. Before I go into a meeting, have coffee with a friend, or present my speeches before hundreds of people, I PUSH love ahead of me. I visualize the room, the faces, and the event. With every breath I visualize PUSHING love through me and out to the space and people I will be interacting with.

Before I speak, I stand at the front of the empty room and visualize the chairs filled with people. I PUSH love to every person that I know will attend. I walk through the room PUSHING love through the space.

When I am at a school, a hospital, a Hospice, and sometimes even a shopping mall I walk through PUSHING love!

The act of PUSHING LOVE cleanses the space. Fills it with kindness and compassion and in doing so fills ME with love, kindness, and compassion. My cup spills over and others will feel it!

Now, you try it. Wherever you are right now, look around. Who do you see? A family member, a coworker, a friend, a stranger? If you are alone can you visualize who you will see today? Now close your eyes, take a deep breath, and visualize love filling every inch of you and overflowing to the one you see or visualize. Do this with every person you interact with today. It works through screens and telephones too.

Remember the song,
“What the world needs now is love, sweet love
No not just for some, but for everyone. . .”
Don’t leave your cup just half full. Run it over. Fill every corner with love!
Become a LOVE PUSHER!
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Visualize being filled with love. With every breath PUSH love to others.”

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BACKED INTO A CORNER

1/29/2021

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I noticed my dog sniffing a spot by the wall. When I investigated what she had found, I realized there was a wet spot on my brand-new carpet. It was odd, as there had never been water in our home before. We wondered if it was a frozen pipe outside or a water pipe in the wall.

As projects like this often do, one thing led to another. After a visit from a plumber and cutting a hole in the wall to remove the sheetrock, it was narrowed down to a drainpipe. A simple fix, right? Well, it turned out to be a bit longer process than simple. The leak was under the concrete floor of our lower-level family room.

In case you are wondering, a jackhammer is noisy when it is in your home and concrete dust does go everywhere. After a bigger hole was cut in the wall and a hole was cut out of the floor, the plumber replaced the pipe. The sheetrock was replaced on the wall. New concrete was poured to cover the hole in the floor. And it was my turn to paint the area so that it matched the rest of the room that we had painted only a month earlier.

It wasn’t a big area, and the new carpet was still pulled safely back, so I put on my trusty oversized denim paint shirt, plastic gloves, and on my hands and knees began rolling paint. I looked across my large family room. The tv area, the exercise area, the pool table area circled me, but from my vantage point I felt very small in my little space. Compared to enjoying my entire room, it suddenly felt like I had been backed into a tiny corner.

I began thinking about all that has happened in the past year.
For months I never left the house. My weekly curbside pickup of groceries became my big outing. Conferences and events where I would speak and meet new people were all canceled. Lunches and coffee with friends didn’t happen. Going to movies, eating out, family gatherings, shopping, travel, … All. Came. To. A. STOP.

Event by event, person by person, my life circle became smaller. I stopped painting and looked around my big room as if I were looking at my life. It is out there, my big, busy live with family, friends, work, and fun. But little by little I have slowly been backed into a corner. The corner was safe. The corner was the right thing to do. The corner was necessary. The corner has also been lonely, sad, and uncomfortable.
I reached out of my corner at times to enjoy phone calls with friends, spoke via webinars and virtual meetings, Zoomed with my family for holidays, and even joined a group for virtual game nights. These helped me feel connected, but once they were over it was back to my corner.

I rolled the paint.

I applied the second coat blending it into the rest of the wall. I could see the weeks of repairs disappearing. I kicked the carpet back into place. Soon it will be stretched back into the corner and all signs of concrete dust and broken pipes will be gone.
I stepped out of my corner and walked through my family room. I looked back at my painted masterpiece. I couldn’t tell there had ever been a hole cut in my wall. It felt good.

I look forward to the day I walk back into my life. I look forward to travel, family gatherings, shopping, speaking, movies, eating out… all without fear. The day is coming and when it does, I will look back at the little corner I have been backed into for so long. I don’t know if my life will look the same. There may be new people. Different places. New experiences. I feel like we have all changed through this. We have been broken open and felt new feelings. My hope is when the dust settles, and the wounds are healed we will feel good again.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “At times we are backed into a corner so that we can view and appreciate the big world surrounding us.”

Pennie Heart to Heart
BACKED INTO A CORNER

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Don't Overthink the Dots!

1/23/2021

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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 overthink 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 scarred 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 overthinking 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!”

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BENCHMARKS IN LIFE CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE THINGS

1/14/2021

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I have learned hard lessons. Lessons that have given me benchmarks that guide my life.
I remember the Christmas during my divorce that I sat alone in an apartment eating a bag of Hershey Kisses and watching the clock tick. I was certain I wouldn’t survive the day. I did.
I learned that loneliness can be hurtful, harmful, and healing. I had a new benchmark to help me understand that I could survive being alone.

There was a time when I was driving an hour commute to work on treacherous roads, working too many hours, worrying about contracts, profit and loss statements, and stressed to an extreme level. Then, my dad was diagnosed with a terminal illness. In a short period of time, he disappeared before my eyes. I was holding his hand and rubbing his head as he passed. In that second the contracts, the commute, the work worries seemed of such little importance. I was holding my dad’s hand and rubbing his head as he left this life- that was important. That was a benchmark to help me keep in perspective the big from the small things in life.

I changed a few things after that and thought I had my priorities straight. And then, a phone call brought me to my knees telling me my 22-year-old-son had died.

You can read about the stages of grief, but that does not guard you against the reality of it. I was on the ground in a dirty, ugly space of hopeless helpless grief. I wanted my little cowboy back. I wanted to see him when he was two years old wearing his hat, chaps, and boots, perched on his bouncy horse as he watched the “Three Amigos” movie. I wanted my baseball player back that could hit home runs every time he was up to bat and then danced around the bases because to him it was all about having fun. I wanted the schoolboy back with his huge smile wearing his favorite t-shirt that had a picture of a can of spam on the front. I wanted my musician back who filled my home with the vibration of his drums and could hear a song once and play it on his guitar. I wanted, “J.T. and the Basement Boys,” back in my basement driving me crazy with the musical noise. I wanted to see his smile when I handed him the keys to his truck. I wanted to hear him sing to his baby girl. I wanted to feel his beard brush next to my face and feel his hugs.

At his funeral, I thought I would die. I wanted to die.
Gratitude saved me.
Being grateful for the gift of him in my life, being grateful for the years he was with me, being grateful that I got to be his mom and no one else could say that - saved me.

Standing in front of an oak box that held my child, with his guitar silently perched on the floor next to it, created an unmovable, unbreakable benchmark made of granite that I will carry forever. I survived the most unthinkable, unimaginable, pain a mom can bear and I am still standing.

I have been through a lot in my life. We all have. I hear others complain about their life, their jobs, and their kids. I see the challenges and craziness in our world. I witness the hate and anger that causes people to do terrible things.

I see the other side. The side we should all look at. The side where we should be grateful for life – the good and not so good. The experiences, the joys, and the sadness.

My benchmark of comparison is rock solid. Nothing can hurt as deeply as the loss of my child. I know what is big and what is small to worry about. I know what to be grateful for.
And I will continue standing.
I believe we all will.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Watch for benchmarks when they are given to you and allow gratitude to guide your life.”

J.T. - Jameson Tanner 1985-2007

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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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When it Comes to Love, Anything Will Help!

1/1/2021

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I turned the corner to head home after doing my weekly errands. I noticed at the streetlight 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...
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 © 2013-2021 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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Holding HOPE in my heart for the New Year.

12/27/2020

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I stopped making New Year’s resolutions many years ago.
They never worked for me.

The exercise program resolution never lasted past February. The eating healthier resolution never made its way through the holiday leftovers. And the lose 20 lbs. resolution never really got started. I could go on with this list, but you see the pattern. Resolutions always left me feeling guilty, frustrated, and discouraged.

In 2012 I changed my idea of how to begin a new year and decided to pick a word. One word that would be my theme for the year. Guide my actions and give me an intention. That year, my word was ‘Health.’

I would ask myself daily if I was creating a healthier life for myself. I would ask myself if the action I was about to take would put me on a path toward health or a path away from being healthy. It was a small nonjudgmental nudge for me.

I printed out the word Health and put it on my vision board. I put it on my bathroom mirror. I would write it as I doodled. I tried to incorporate it into conversations. That year I didn’t turn into the vision of perfect health, but I made better choices. I read and researched healthy habits. I caught up on physical tests and appointments I had avoided. Health became part of my life.

Since then, my words have included:
Focus -when I needed to become more aware of how I was spending my time;
Completion- when I realized I had projects I had begun and never finished;
Sincerity- when I wanted to live in a space of being sincere in everything I said and did;
JOY- when I needed to move into living a joyous life;
Intention- when I wanted to not just live, but set daily intentions about how I wanted to live; Self-love- when I was doing a great job of loving others but not myself;
Fun- after a car accident and a year of physical therapy and sadness I just needed to have fun!

Some years I struggle to find the perfect word. Some years the word jumps out at me. Some years they come to me during meditation. This year, the word was in my heart. It throbbed through my mind with every push of blood through my veins. I didn’t have a choice – this word found me.
HOPE.

Hope- an optimistic state of mind.
An expectation of positive outcomes.
A cherished desire of anticipation.
A feeling of trust in the future.

What I need this coming year, what we all need this new year, is Hope.

I hold hope that friends and families will once again join for holidays and family dinners. That birthday parties and celebrations will become joyous again.

I hold hope that the anger and division subsides and we once again join in unified ways that increase stability and harmony in our country.

I hold hope that the freedom to own our beliefs is accomplished with respect and honor for others who may hold a belief that is counter to our own.

I hold hope that children can once again gather in the school hallways, laughing and chatting with friends. I hold hope that elementary playgrounds are filled with rosy cheeks, running and playing without fear of being too close.

I hold hope that restaurant tables will be filled with happy faces and small businesses will overflow with shoppers. I hold hope that employment will become stable and breadwinners will be able to pay rent or mortgages and feed their families.

I hold hope that health returns to our people, our communities, our country, and our world.

I hold hope that smiles are wide, handshakes are earnest, and hugs- oh those hugs- are long and meaningful.

Do I believe that a page turn of the calendar will magically create an idyllic world where the weather is perfect, daisies dance, and the bluebirds sing songs? No.

But I do believe humans cannot live without hope.

Even a small glimmer of hope will keep our lives moving forward and our hearts reaching for what is to come. My wish is that the small glimmer will gain strength and grow until it is a powerful light calling to us. Shinning on us.
Protecting us.

For this new year, it isn’t a resolution that will guide me.
It is one word.
The word is Hope.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “We cannot survive without hope.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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THE GRATITUDE JAR!

12/16/2020

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In January of 2016, I came across an idea for documenting a year’s worth of gratitude. I found a jar- actually, it was a flower vase that I perched smack in the center of my fireplace shelf with a sign that read, “Be Grateful.”

I purchased a notepad and every Sunday night I reviewed the week I had just completed and wrote down what I was grateful for that week. I then folded the weekly gratitude list and placed it in the jar.
My goal was to fill the jar and read them at the end of the year to remind myself of how gratitude filled every day, every week, and every month of my life.

Sometimes it was simple things and sometimes splashy memorable experiences. I wrote notes of gratitude about lessons I learned. I wrote notes of gratitude about things I shared and taught to others. I wrote notes of gratitude about people, places, and things I love.

A year goes quickly. As the weeks and months went by my jar filled higher and higher with gratitude in the shape of folded paper. The end of December arrived and as I dumped the jar out to read each grateful memory, I relived the tasty morsels of my year.

Reading through my jar of gratitude I realize all my notes revolve around the three reasons I believe we are here in this life….to learn, to teach, and to love. I rarely wrote notes about material things. It was learning, teaching, and loving that I was the most grateful for.

Now, as I am looking forward to the completion of my 5th year of a filled gratitude jar, the simple concept has become a tradition. In the bottom of the jar, under the mounting pile of folded papers, are rubber-banded bundles of gratitude notes from the years past. My husband has joined in, writing his gratitude notes every week. We created a new ritual of dumping out the jar on New Year’s Eve and reading through our abundance of gratitude from the year we just completed.

As I look to the bright and shiny new year ahead of me, as always, I want to exercise, eat better, and improve my health. I will also hold a special ‘word’ for the year as my theme for the next 12 months, which I have done for many years. (More on this soon.)

What I won’t do is set myself up for broken resolutions that revolve around things, money, or unreasonable expectations. My plan for the year ahead is simple… to learn more, to teach more, and to love more. I plan to once again critique my weeks – not by mistakes or regrets, but by moments of gratitude. With this plan I know my life will be full, my heart will be bursting, and my gratitude jar will once again be overflowing by the end of 2021.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Be grateful for your ability to learn more, teach more, and love more. That is why we are here.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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STOP THINKING AND BEGIN THANKING!

12/11/2020

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Have you found yourself in a situation where you think and think and think and can’t see a way through?

Maybe you need to change your tactic. Maybe you don’t have a THINKING problem… maybe you have a THANKING problem.

When you can’t THINK your way through, you need to THANK your way through!
We live in a world that values process, procedure, charts, graphs, reports, analysis, logic, and hard cold facts.
But some situations cannot be logic-ed through!
Some situations don’t make sense no matter how many charts you make or ways you look at it.
Some situations are out of our control to change.
Some situations are so painful that thinking about them becomes unbearable.
Some situations you cannot THINK your way through!
Yet, you can THANK your way through.

Do you want a new job, a new home, a new relationship, and you THINK about it all the time, but you don’t move forward? Until you are thankful for what you have, you will never have more.
Let me repeat that…
Until you are thankful for what you have, you will never have more.
Say that again and again until in sinks into every cell of your body.

Don’t waste your time THINKING, poor me, I will never get that job, big house or the perfect relationship. This kind of stinking thinking just builds resentment, anger, and frustration.

Instead, be thankful for the job you have now- no matter how bad it is; be thankful for the place you live now – no matter what size or condition it is in; and be thankful for the friends, family, and relationships you already have –even if you don’t have that perfect partner right now.

Once you begin being thankful for what you have, you begin to get more!

Are you grieving the loss of a job, relationship, or the passing of someone dear to you? When we lose something or someone we had, and loved, it can shake us to our inner core. This kind of loss is the most difficult. It can stir up all the emotions- anger, hopelessness, helplessness, fear, and frustration. Try to turn any bitterness or anger into gratitude.

Be thankful for the time you had with that situation or person. Be thankful for what you learned from them, (good and bad). Be thankful for the love they brought into your life and the love you had the opportunity to express to them – no matter what length of time that you had with them. When you turn THINKING into THANKING the pain of your grief will lighten.

Once you begin being thankful for what you had or what you have now, you will begin to see your life in a new way. Change that one little letter in the middle of the word … stop THINKING and begin THANKING!
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “When you can’t THINK your way through, THANK your way through.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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THE SLED!

12/4/2020

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It held my children, grandchildren, cousins, neighbors, and dogs. It has been a rocket sliding down a hill, a snow wagon, and a photo prop.

It caused laughter, delight, and joy. It caused fights, bruises, and tears.

I am not even sure if I remember the day it arrived in our home. Most likely it was delivered in a sleigh by a man in a red suit. I do know the sled has been around for decades.

I ran across it in my garage propped in a corner. The runners, once bright and shiny red, looked rusty. The wood worn. The original twine colored rope long ago replaced by a red version.
With the outside temperature too cold to turn on the garden hose, I did the next best thing – I brought it in the house. I gave it a shower. Leaning it against the tile I took the shower sprayer down and began cleaning off the years of neglect.

As the cobwebs ran down the drain, I saw my children – dressed in snow suits, hats, mittens, and boots. Hardly able to move due to the layers of protection. The only skin showing was their faces with the glow of their cold blushed cheeks.

The water poured brown and dirty as years of memories flashed through.

The year it was taken to the lake while the men ice fished, and the kids would take turns having sled rides across the frozen water.

The hill that seemed Alpine-big and served as the daredevil challenge for those days when the sled was ridden until little fingers were frozen and the draw of a warm bath and hot chocolate waiting at home became strong enough to end the fun.

The year my brother’s St. Bernard pulled the sled, filled with squealing kids, across Grandma’s yard.
Drying the sled off I rubbed the runners to polish every inch while memories continued to reach every corner of my heart.

The way I felt as I watched my three most important loves, hearing their squeals of delight as I held my breath, hoping they would reach the edge of the snow safely.

The way I ran to them when an unseen rock would derail their speed causing a tumble, a spill, and tears.
The arguments over who would get the next turn.

Tying greenery and a plaid bow around the wooden slats, I remembered…

The day my daughter perched her babies on it to snap the perfect holiday card photo.

The sled.
Now instead of the dirty corner of the garage, it stands in a place of honor next to my antique sewing machine surround by twinkling lights. The red and green bow a crown of appreciation for work well done.

I walk by it and see those chubby snow kissed faces. I hear the squeals of joy. I think of how my children are grown and their children are taller than me. I wonder how time has slid by so quickly -- year by year, snow by melting snow, and one quick ride down the hill at a time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“Pay attention to the little things in life – they slip and slide by quickly.”

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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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TABLE FOR TWO – it’s just one meal

11/28/2020

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This year was different. Typically, on holidays my home is filled with our six children, their partners in life, nine grandchildren, a great grandmother or two, and occasionally friends or other relatives.

From 8 to 88 the generations gather. The noise of multiple conversations, laughter, music, and the television blaring the parade and football games, all blur together with the smell of turkey, sweet potatoes, and pie. The dining room table is set with china and flowers for the adults. The kitchen table is set with fun turkeys and colorful placemats for the kids.

The house is filled with the magic of a Norman Rockwell painting.
Well, maybe not quite that perfect--but close.

This year was different. There was the smell of turkey, sweet potatoes, and pie, but the dining room table was a table for two and the kitchen table sat empty.

I stressed about it for several weeks. I love holidays. I love the family, the chaos, the gathering in gratitude. It was hard for me to concede that this year would be different. Then my daughter laid it out in four words.
“It’s just one meal,” she said.
That was about as clear as it gets.
It was just one meal. It wasn’t going to be forever. It wasn’t going to be every holiday.
It was just one meal.

Our family is large, diverse, and live in different areas. This year, some of the grandchildren are in their school’s classroom and some are distance learning from home. This year, some of our children are going to work every day to their office or business, and some have been working from home for months.

When we looked at the web of how family members interact with the public it was frightening. Just in our family we would have mixed eight households, nine children that attend different school situations and/or events, fifteen adults that either go out into the work arena, or do grocery shopping, and take children to school or events. There was a lot of interaction going on that would all be brought to the Thanksgiving table. The risk was high.

When we listened to the medical suggestions, we all agreed that staying in our own homes this year was the right thing to do. And this year, the right thing mattered. We wanted to protect each other. We cared enough about each other to put that first.

It turned out fine. Phone calls were made. Laugher happened over Facetime and Zoom calls. We exchanged photos of brown turkeys and tables of food. We shared in new and different ways the events of our separate holiday. It wasn’t Norman Rockwell, but it was fine.

Did we want to be together this year? YES! We needed hugs. We needed closeness. We needed the unity of our family together. But - it was just one meal. It was just one day. We did the right thing. And when Christmas comes, we will do the next right thing.

We look forward to future holidays. Because we cared enough to stay safe this year, we have hope that next year we will all be sitting around a table for twenty or more. We have hope that we will all be healthy and happy.
It was just one meal, one day – there will be more.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Do the right thing, when the right thing matters.”

      ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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LET’S COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE

11/21/2020

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We have all had a year!
It is easy to be in a cloud of darkness and despair. It is easy to be confused, uncertain, and angry. It is easy to look only at the negative and believe there is nothing to be grateful for.

This year’s holidays may look and feel much different than in years past. Missing traditions and large families around the dinner table may add to the turmoil of emotions many of us feel.

During this week of giving thanks, let’s take time to look beyond all that has happened in the past year. Look through the confusion and uncertainty. Look past the unique holiday challenges. Let’s concentrate on what we do have. Let’s concentrate on gratitude.

I believe that gratitude is a great healer. A soothing, calming, gentle guide that brings us together to a place of peace. To support you with this, I share this exercise to help us all appreciate the grace of gratitude.

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.”

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WHAT WILL BRING ME JOY TODAY?

11/13/2020

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Five years ago, my husband retired. Some people fear retirement. They have their entire life interwoven with their job, career, or professional position. They fear the empty space. The quiet. The lack of identity.

This is intensified when others ask questions like, “What are you going to do now?”
The in-between-the-lines message is – you MUST have a plan; you MUST do something.

If you have swirled your entire identity around what you do for work, when you retire, you may find yourself struggling with this loss of identity. I came up with an idea. As fast as you can, why not create a new one! Have new business cards printed with your name and a new title.
You may no longer be an Executive Director, a CEO, a realtor or whatever your work title was, but now you can be anything you want to be.

Happily Retired ~ Artist ~ Volunteer ~ King of Your World ~ Grandma

Practice saying it – “I AM a WRITER!” or “I am Happily Retired!”
The new title may feel strange at first, but practice saying it out loud until YOU believe it! Include your address, phone, email, or other information so that people know how to reach you. Hand these new business cards out with pride!

After owning his own business for 38 years, it was time for my husband to relax and enjoy life, but I did worry about how he would react. So, on the day the papers were signed, and the business was transferred to new owners, I gave him a gift. A box of new business cards which expressed his new title and included his contact information. He was thrilled to have something to hand people when they asked those questions. It was a new identity and a way of keeping in touch with others.

Now, five years later, most people know how to connect with him. The business cards don’t come out as often as they did in the beginning, although the questions continue.
“Don’t you get bored?”
"What do you do all day?”
“How do you spend your time?”

He has settled into the greatest response of all. His answer is simple. Thought provoking. Priceless!
“I wake up every morning and ask myself,
-- what will bring me joy today? --
And then I do that.”

When he uses this response, people become quiet. They visualize what that must be like- to wake up every day knowing you can do exactly what you want to do and fill your day with joy. If they are curious my husband will elaborate. Yes, we love to travel and enjoy adventures, but most of the time it isn’t flashy acts of indulging, he explains. He is a lifelong learner, so some days what brings him joy is reading all day. Some days sleeping in, staying up late, or a luxurious afternoon nap brings him joy. Some days a drive to play blackjack brings him joy. Even plowing snow from our property with his tractor brings him a joyful contentment.

The days of worrying about profit and loss, about staff showing up for work, about deadlines and sales are over. Now it is the simple things, that there wasn’t time for during those years of productivity, that bring him joy.

Maybe it is time for me to create a new business card for him that simply says,
“I am a JOY FINDER!”
I wonder if it is time for all of us to add a bit of joy finding into our daily lives. A moment here, a lunch break there… you don’t have to wait until you retire to find time to add simple snippets of joy to your life.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson: “You create your identity – your job doesn’t. Find your own joy.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pennie Heart to Heart
WHAT WILL BRING YOU JOY TODAY

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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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THE BIG “W”

11/6/2020

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It can run your life.
It can wear you out.

I am talking about the BIG “W!”
WORRY!

How often do you worry?
How much of your life do you waste?

A friend told me once that good people worry. Of course, we do. We have concern for our kids, family, friends. That is natural.
When occasional concern turns into manic worry, red flags should wave. Worry is really a negative form of meditation. Meditation is training your mind to let go and be open to a space of peace. When you fill your mind with worry it fixates on negative thoughts- quite the opposite of peace.

Ask these questions about the situation you are worried about:
   Can I change it?
   Can I stop it?
   Is it mine to worry about?

If you can change something you are worried about, then change it.
If you can stop a situation you are worried about, then stop it.
If it is yours to worry about, meaning it directly involves you and only you, then give it deep thought as to how to do the above- change it or stop it.

But if the worry is about another person, or an event that does not involve you – then it is none of your business to worry about. You cannot control another person’s life path. It is not your place to interfere. It’s almost rude on a soul level.

When you have no power over the situation then all the hours of worry you are donating are hours of negative meditation that only damage and stress you.

When you are worrying about the “possibility” of what may happen - another red flag. What are the odds of something that isn’t even reality turning into the event you are conjuring in your mind? And if it did, would it be as bad as you are visualizing? Probably not.

Even worse - after a life event happens, do you stir your mind with the worst scenario of what “could have” happened? Do you relive the event, imagining a much worse outcome than what it actually was? Stop worrying about the ‘what if’s’ in life.

Here is a tip- find a “W”. Yes, a “W.” It can be wooden, plastic, gold or a “W” you cut from a piece of paper. Place it in a prominent spot in your home. By your computer, on your kitchen counter, in your shower or on your nightstand - wherever you see it often. This “W” will remind you that anything you have ever worried about in your life has been resolved. It may not resolve in the way you like, but it is in the past and you have lived through it.

The time you are giving to worrying is holding space that could be held by joy, laughter, fun, kindness, love or anything much more positive and productive than worrying.

When you see your “W” take a deep breath and let go of the negative meditation on what you can’t control.

Pennie’s Life Lesson: “Worry is negative meditation. Everything you have ever worried about has been resolved and you have lived through it.”

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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN- or is it?

10/31/2020

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I have never been a big fan of Halloween. In fact, it may be my least favorite holiday.

Growing up in South Dakota, it always seemed to be cold. Snow or freezing rain loved to pick October 31st as a day to visit. I remember bundling up in layers under my costume and at times topping the costume with a winter coat. The flexibility to walk was secondary to staying warm.

My most memorable Halloween was when I was around 8 or 9 and a little Trick or Treater was hit by a car in front of our home. My Dad ran out to help the family while they waited for the EMT’s to arrive. When the ambulance left with the little girl and her Mom, the rest of her siblings came into our home and stayed with us to wait.

It was a simpler time. A time when you didn’t have to question the kindness of strangers. A time when you could leave your frightened children in the care of a family you didn’t know during a moment of crisis - and trust they would be ok.

The children were scared and worried about their sister. My siblings and I gave up our Trick or Treating that year to play games with the children and keep them safe and warm until their Mother could return.

It was late in the night when the Mom came back for the children. I vaguely remember how my Dad had followed up the next day to check on the little girl. I have always wondered what happened to her and how her story turned out. This is an event from my childhood that made a defined memory in the wrinkles of my brain. When I had children of my own, I was extremely sensitive to their safety as they ran door to door.

It wasn’t long after that year that I remember the news warning of someone putting razor blades in apples and giving them as treats. My parents then began checking our Trick or Treat bags and removing anything that looked suspicious.

Why is Halloween my least favorite holiday?
Maybe it was memories of the cold snowy nights running in the dark.
Maybe it was the trauma and fear of that night when the little girl was hit by a car in front of us.
Maybe it was the reality that there are bad people that would try to hurt children by hiding dangerous items in treats.
Maybe it was the battles that occurred after the bags of candy were filled when I tried to keep my own children from eating nothing but candy for weeks.
It could have been any (or all) of these that has dampened my enthusiasm for the concept of Halloween.

And now, if all of that isn’t enough, this year we have the added concern caused by an invisible virus. This one we can’t protect our children from by bundling them warmer, cautioning them about traffic, or checking their candy.

My wish for you this Halloween is that you stay home safely tucked in with your children, telling stories, playing games, and sharing candy that you know is safe. If you do honor the tradition of Trick or Treating, do it with caution and safety.

Maybe next year the temperature will be warm and pleasant, and the climate of the world will feel safe. Maybe once again it will be a simpler time.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
“We all need to feel warm and safe.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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THE LEAP OF TRUST

10/22/2020

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You know the feeling.
You slide into the cool sheets, fluff up your favorite pillow, pull the soft warm blankets up to your chin and wiggle and squiggle until your mattress molds around you in safe secure comfort. You close your eyes shutting out all the problems of your world and drift into the luxury of sleep.
All the while trusting.

Trusting that wherever you travel --through pleasant dreams or nightmares, whether your body simply shuts down to rest or your soul journeys to unknown adventures-- at some point you will wake up. Wake up stronger, rested and ready to walk another day. And, if you don’t wake up, you trust that the space you move into will be one of greater comfort than the space where you currently are.

This may be the ultimate leap of trust. To simply close your eyes, giving up all barriers of protection and give yourself fully to the unknown experience of unconsciousness that you know as sleep. A place of total vulnerability.
Trust.

What if you could learn to trust like this during your awake hours?
Grief, sadness, and life events are at times difficult to maneuver. This year has shown us an unimaginable list of these challenging times. You may be feeling overwhelmed. You may be feeling lost and alone. You may feel like there is no end- no way out of the desperation. What if you could trust that you will walk through these times and wake up on the other side with new strength, new knowledge, and ready to walk another day?

Actually, it should be easier. When you trust that sleep is a safe endeavor you do it alone. No one can share the experience of sleep with you. And yet, you do it night after night always trusting it will be fine in the morning. If you are reading this, you know it is true - you went to sleep last night and you woke up this morning.

All other life experiences, no matter how devastating they are, no matter how challenging they are, no matter how life changing they are, can be shared with others. Even if you feel alone, you don’t have to be. You can ask for help. You can reach out to others in similar circumstances. You can reach out to someone who is struggling. You can reach out to someone who seems to have life under control. You can hold someone’s hand and they can hold yours.

Tonight when you cozy into your cocoon of sleep, ponder this concept. Think about the leap of trust you take every time you close your eyes. AND, think about how wonderful it would be to live your daily life trusting in that same way.
Who will you reach out to today?
Who will you trust?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
“Take the leap of trust moment to moment understanding that you will make it through the challenges of life. Trust that you will be fine.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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THE LOST DAY

10/12/2020

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I lost my day.
It began in the normal way.
Alarm.
Glass of water.
Cup of coffee.
Work out.
Shower.
Then... I lost it.

My day became an endless loop of wondering what I should do. Not wanting to do anything. Feeling disappointed in myself that I was not accomplishing, achieving, or making an impact, I walked from window to window looking out at the world feeling lost. I did not have a plan for the day. I was uneasy. Restless. Uncertain.
And then, it was over.
I lost my day.

Now, holding a brand-new day in my grasp and enjoying all that comes with it, I look back on that day and realize I occasionally experience what I call A Lost Day. A day lost in time that I wasted.

I’m not talking about a day spent reading or relaxing, which I find necessary to rejuvenate both mind and soul and is far from wasted. A Lost Day is spent spinning and twirling in indecision. Not being able to focus on a desire. Feeling like I hold no control over my life or the world outside.

In my self-analyzation, I uncovered this...
I was raised in a military family where it was ingrained in my DNA to work hard, accomplish, and achieve. I often find myself at the end of a day spewing a list of "completion." From laundry to writing, I do a mental review of what I did to add value during the day. Could it be possible if I don’t “do” I must not be of value?

Our minds are funny little puzzles consisting of pieces created at birth with more picked up as we journey through life. We maneuver the unchangeable ones to create a frame. All other misshaped pieces are turned and tried until they fit together to create the picture of our lives.

Over time we may crinkle and bend a piece or two and might even lose one, but the frame remains the landing pad. The secret code of our belief system’s DNA.

Here is the thing...
Although I was raised with the core value of hard work and accomplishment, I was NEVER taught that without doing that I was not of value. That became one of the internal puzzle pieces that my mind created and connected to another piece as I built my life. So of course, when I have a day of spinning in indecision, I feel useless and wasteful. I experience the frustration of a Lost Day.

Now to make it even worse, during this time of uncertainty in our world, many of us may think we have lost a day, a summer, and possibly the entire year. Our thoughts and movements are tempered with caution and restrictions. Holding control of our feelings, actions, and focus is more difficult than ever before.

Our mind is trying to process the events that we cannot control in the world, by organizing these events like they are jumbled puzzle pieces. We believe they should fit together in a logical form - but they don’t. It is no wonder how easily we can lose a day spinning in this loss of control.

For me, the next time I experience a Lost Day, I will at least understand what is happening. I will try to lean into it with the knowing of why it is happening and the understanding of how my emotions are reacting.

As I write this, I sit in self-satisfaction for solving the puzzle. Finding the piece that skews my life picture and creates a Lost Day.
Today I accomplished!
I achieved!
I made an impact - if only in my own life.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~
Pennie's Life Lesson:
“Pay attention to the puzzle pieces that create the picture of your life. Don’t force pieces to fit where they don’t belong.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~~~

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 © 2013-2020 Pennie Hunt
This was written and produced by Pennie Hunt.
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The Angel Highway

10/6/2020

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It was June 11, 2018. The weather was great. The air was clean. The sky was blue. It seemed like a normal day. I had a dentist appointment, did some shopping, and called to tell my husband I was heading home.

The stop-and-go traffic on the interstate soon turned to a complete stop. There was a long space behind me, but in my rear-view mirror, I saw a vehicle coming toward me. I pumped my brakes in hopes of the driver seeing my brake lights. Closing my eyes, I held the steering wheel as tightly as I could, thinking, “So this is how it’s going to be.” I KNEW I was going to die.

The jolt of the car hitting me somewhere between 65-75 MPH slammed my car into a concrete construction barrier. The front windshield instantly shattered and pushed into my face. Then it seemed as if I was silently flying forever as my car flew 35 yards. I thought that maybe I was already dead and when I landed, I would be someplace magical.

My car hit bouncing several times landing on its top. I was suspended upside down held by my seat belt and crushed in a position so tightly I couldn’t move. My head was crooked and pushed into the caved-in roof of my car. I was covered in glass and debris. I was afraid to open my eyes. I could hear steaming, hissing, and sounds from my car. Now, I was certain if I wasn’t already dead, I would die soon. This is not a feeling you can prepare for. This is not a feeling you forget.

A driver stopped and began yelling to me, “Are you ok? I can’t believe you are alive, there is no way you could have survived this- you should be dead!” This began a stream of similar comments from the EMT’s, firemen, and the ER doctors.

An EMT named, Sarah, climbed through the broken back window to reach me. She talked to me keeping me calm and conscious. When the sirens of the fire trucks came closer, she said, “Can you hear that? They are coming to help you and will know how to get you out!”

A heavy, hot blanket was put over my face as the firemen used saws to cut my car apart. Five of them pulled me out and laid me on the hot asphalt. Shaking from shock and blood running down my face from a blow to my head, I was rushed by ambulance to the hospital.

One distracted moment from another driver took away more than a year of my life and changed me forever. I was told, the distracted driver appeared unhurt and went home to her family and her life.

Post-Traumatic Stress is real. The nightmares were horrific as people were always trying to kill me and shouting,
“YOU SHOULD BE DEAD!”

A siren instantly put me back in my car, upside down, the seat belt digging into my neck and waist, my head lodged in the sunroof. The smell of hot asphalt or the heat of a road brought back being pulled out of the wreckage and laid on the road surrounded by smells of antifreeze, gasoline, and transmission fluid.

Headaches from my concussion and neck pain from the whiplash made it impossible for me to sit at a computer or look at a screen. I couldn’t read. I couldn’t write. I couldn’t do my work.

I could remember every millisecond of the collision, but I would walk right by someone I had known for years and not recognize them. I would have times when I was extremely quiet and times I would rattle out odd stories.

I could no longer do the things I loved – play with my grandchildren, yoga, riding my bike, or swimming. I would wake up with my back hunched in pain and it could take two hours to gain an upright position. My balance was impaired and while walking my leg would buckle or go sideways as if it had a mind of its own.

I saw the world as if I was looking through a fishbowl. Everything was skewed in a very strange way. Months of ophthalmologist and neurologist visits later I do not have the same vision as before the collision. That is something that cannot be corrected or ‘fixed.’

I never planned to drive again. It took time before I began driving back roads to get places avoiding other cars. The interstate was a source of visceral fear.

The highway patrolman who investigated my collision said several things happened right or I would not have survived. It was a small car that hit me low and hard catapulting me into the air. A larger vehicle would have hit straight on and the outcome would have been devastating. I had swerved slightly left when I stopped in traffic, which kept me from being accordioned between the line of cars ahead of me and the car that hit me- this could have caused many deaths. And I was wearing a seat belt.

For more than a year, my life revolved around physician appointments, physical therapy, sleeping, and pain.

Personally, I believe that my dad, my son, and an entire team of angels held me in the car that day. Now I call that stretch of interstate, The Angel Highway. Now when I am on it, I say a prayer of gratitude that I am alive and send blessings to my angels, family, friends, first responders, and medical professionals that helped me through this journey.

The National Safety Council calls October 2020 Distracted Driving Awareness Month. According to the CDC, each day in the US, distracted driving accidents cause 1,000 injuries and 9 deaths. I am one of the lucky ones. I guess I have a few more lessons to learn and teach in this life.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Pennie’s Life Lesson:
“If you are going to drive, wear a seat belt and put away your phone.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

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 © 2013-2020 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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WHERE DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME?

DON’T LET TYPOS BECOME YOUR TATTOOS

It's All Communication

STOP FEEDING THE GREEN MONSTER

THE WRITING ON THE WALL

ALL THINGS GROW WITH LOVE

Window Weather

THE BEAT OF MY HEART ...

I AM A LOVE PUSHER!!

BACKED INTO A CORNER

Don't Overthink the Dots!

BENCHMARKS IN LIFE CHANGE THE WAY YOU SEE THINGS

When it Comes to Love, Anything Will Help!

Holding HOPE in my heart for the New Year.

THE GRATITUDE JAR!

STOP THINKING AND BEGIN THANKING!

THE SLED!

TABLE FOR TWO – it’s just one meal

LET’S COME TOGETHER TO CELEBRATE THE GRACE OF GRATITUDE

WHAT WILL BRING ME JOY TODAY?

Pennie Heart to Heart
WHAT WILL BRING YOU JOY TODAY

THE BIG “W”

HAPPY HALLOWEEN- or is it?

THE LEAP OF TRUST

THE LOST DAY

The Angel Highway

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Pennie Heart to HeartWHAT WILL BRING YOU JOY TODAY

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Pennie Heart to Heart
WHAT WILL BRING YOU JOY TODAY