The Corner of Spirit & Brave

ANSWER THE PHONE CALL by Pennie Hunt

8/30/2026

Pennie and her mom, Fern

“Are you ok?” My grandmother was on the other end of the phone call. It had been a couple of days since I lost my baby boy. She wanted to know if I was ok, and to let me know she was thinking of me even though she was over 1,000 miles away. She told me the story of how she lost a baby boy. She wanted me to know she understood. She wanted me to know I would be happy again, that she cared, and she loved me.

“What are you doing?” From the day I moved out on my own, my mom called me every day. Sometimes 3 times a day. Her call always began the same way. She wanted to know what I was up to, how my kids were, and to hear my voice.

Her calls never stopped. If I didn’t answer, her voicemail always began with, “This is Mom,” as if I didn’t know. With age came dementia. Her calls were fewer. I would put my phone on speaker mode and patiently listen while she repeated her question over and over. “What are you doing?”

Now that I am a mom and grandma, I am the one making the phone calls. I try hard not to call every day, but I do call my children. I was thrilled when my grandchildren were old enough to have their own phones so I could call and text them too.

My children may roll their eyes when they see my name light up on their phone. They probably think- there she is again. That is what I used to do when I knew it was my mom calling me. It wasn’t until my children grew up and were living on their own that I had a revelation.

My mom wasn’t calling me to irritate me. She wasn’t being nosy. She wasn’t trying to be a nuisance. She was calling for 3 reasons. She wanted to know if I was happy. She wanted to know if I was safe and healthy. She wanted me to know she loved me.

Looking back, it is no coincidence that in my mom’s final years when she lived in assisted living, I used those same ideas with her. I always… always, told her we wanted her to be happy, healthy, and safe. I tried to always tell her I loved her.

Life has a funny way of circling around and repeating itself. My grandmother knew. My mother knew. And I know. The bond between moms and their children doesn’t stop when they grow up. The invisible, unbreakable golden thread of love connects our hearts. It reaches further and deeper than a phone line. We need to hear the voice of our child or grandchild. We need verification that they are ok. Safe. Healthy. Happy. We need them to feel loved.

My mom has been gone for 7 years and my grandma for 43 years. I still remember their phone calls and wish I could have one more. Once you don’t have those calls anymore, you realize how lucky you were to have people who loved you enough to make them.

Today, be the one who cares enough to make the call. And if you are one of the lucky ones who has someone in your life that loves you…answer their phone call.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Answer the phone call. It could be someone who loves you.
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WHAT IS YOUR STARFISH by Pennie Hunt

8/23/2026

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You may have heard the story…

An old man had a habit of early morning walks on the beach. One day, after a storm, he saw a human figure in the distance moving like a dancer. As he came closer, he saw that it was a young woman, and she was not dancing but was reaching down to the sand, picking up starfish and very gently throwing them into the ocean.
"Young lady," he asked, "Why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?"
"The sun is up, and the tide is going out, and if I do not throw them in, they will die."
"But young lady, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You cannot possibly make a difference."
The young woman listened politely, paused, and then bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it into the sea, past the breaking waves, saying, "It made a difference for that one."

The starfish story is attributed to Loren Eiseley’s original 1969 essay, “The Star Thrower.” His writing was much longer and more complex than this simplistic version. Today you can find the condensed script with varied characters and details on plaques in gift shops, quoted in books, and overused in marketing and speeches to motivate charitable giving and inspire individual responsibility.

Living my life within the world of speakers, I have heard deep sighs and witnessed eye rolls at the mention of this story being included in a presentation. But today, as I watched the news spotlight the devastating flooding, fires, heat ravaging our world and the anger, disappointment, and hopelessness people are feeling, the simplicity of the starfish story came to my mind.

I can’t sit in my living room and stop a war, put out fires, or take the downpour of rain from the flooded areas and move it to the drought-ridden lands. I can’t stop shootings in grocery stores, parks, and schools. I can’t change the anger and finger-pointing in the political arena.

But what we can do…We can find our starfish.

We can bring home a rescue dog and give them a forever home. Will that solve the problem of overpopulated shelters? Maybe not, but it will make a difference to that one.

We can find a nonprofit with a mission we care about and volunteer our time or make a donation. Will that help every nonprofit? Maybe not, but it will make a difference to that one.

We can lead with kindness. With every interaction with another person, be kind. Your barista, your lunch server, your coworker, your friends and family members. Be kind to the next person you see today. Will that make a difference in the life if every person in the world? Maybe not, but being kind to one person at a time matters. It will make a difference to that one.

We cannot save everyone or solve every problem in the world, but what you do matters to the one you can help. Don’t be overwhelmed with the scope of a problem or issue. Small consistent actions can create change.

Throw one starfish at a time.
Be kind to one person at a time.
Support one organization at a time.
Encourage empathy and compassion in one situation at a time.

Now more than ever, we need to make a difference where we can. Now more than ever, every small act of kindness matters. We need to find our starfish. The cynics may say throwing one or two won’t make a difference… but maybe it will.
What is your starfish?
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Every small act of kindness matters.
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YOUR TURN...
Share your thoughts and experiences relating to this post in a comment below. And please feel free to email me at:
[email protected].
Thank you!
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THE WORDS WE LEAVE UNSPOKEN by Pennie Hunt

8/16/2026

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Do you have something that needs to be said?
Deep down inside, we all do. It doesn’t have to be a secret… just something you need to say to someone. Life is short. We are only here for a blink of an eye.
Don’t let your life end with your words unspoken.

Do you need to say you are sorry? Do you owe someone a long overdue apology for a past hurt? Even if it happened some time ago, it is never too late to apologize. The other person may accept it or walk away, but apologize to them.
Tell them you are sorry.

Do you need to forgive someone? Do you have anger in your heart that has festered for years, and it is time to heal the disappointment?
Tell them you forgive them.

Do you need to share medical history? Do you have medical issues that run in your family and new generations may need to know?
Tell them.

Do you need to explain a past mistake? Do you need to ask for forgiveness? Even if you can’t change the outcome, is there someone you need to explain why you did what you did?
Tell them why.

Do you need to express praise? Is there a friend, family member, or coworker that has done something well? They did a great job. Maybe it was over and above expectations. They need to hear that from you.
Tell them you are proud.

Do you need to stand up for yourself and tell someone how you feel? Have you buried your feelings of betrayal and pain? Find a safe, non-contentious way to talk to them. Tell them about your pain.
Do you need to answer a question? You may not even know what the question is, but your loved ones have questions they would like to ask. Give them permission to ask the question.
And then, tell them.

Do you need to say, I love you? Is there someone in your life that you have loved from a distance? Is there someone you have loved up close but taken for granted? Is there someone who you are close to, but you have never shared your feelings?
Tell them you love them.

Do you need to express gratitude? Do you need to thank people who have been in your life? The ones who helped you, stood by you, and loved you. Maybe at the time you didn’t fully appreciate their acts of service and love for you.
Tell them you are grateful.

Do you need to talk to your higher power, your God, nature, the Universe, or yourself? Do you have feelings and words that need to be expressed? Find a quiet, peaceful, safe place to talk.
Say the words you need to say.

We all have memories and stories to tell, and words to say. Don’t let this short life slip away without sharing these with the people who need to hear them.
This is your wake-up call.
Tell them.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Don’t let your life end with your words unspoken.
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THE FISH PERSPECTIVE - EMBRACE AND RELEASE by Pennie Hunt

8/9/2026

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“Hold the fish with both hands. Reach your arms forward as close to the camera as you can, keeping your face and body back. The fish will look much bigger in the photo than it is in real life.”

Those were his directions. He loved fishing, and he loved even more to talk about all the monster-size fish he caught. The reality was, many of the fish he caught were not that big, and he threw them back into the water so they could grow bigger. He was picky about which ones he embraced as a good fish story and which ones he released. His pictures and the perspective of fish size were important to him.

My friend taught me many lessons, and this one about perspective was one of his best. Most of the time he used fishing stories, but the lesson rarely had to do with fishing. It has been years since my friend passed, but I have thought about this tip many times.

This concept of embracing and releasing is embedded deeply in our lives…whether you realize it or not. We are all hooked by thoughts, beliefs, and experiences. Some are good. Some are bad. It is up to us to decide how we process them. What perspective we see them with. How we live through them and with them.

We can take one bad experience in life and focus on it, holding it closer and closer to the camera so it seems bigger and bigger. We never allow our emotions to work through it. The trauma changes our lives, causing constant tension and stress. We let it become overwhelming. But if we really looked at it, we might be able to see it isn’t as life changing as we initially thought. We can reduce this whale of a problem into a little fish that we release.

Conversely, we can have one small thought. An idea that if we let it float out of our mind, we can miss an opportunity. But if we take that one small idea and focus on it, examine it - hold it close to the camera - the perspective changes. We may realize it could be the beginning of a new business, a new relationship, a new life. It could be a big enough fish to keep and embrace as a story in our life.

We live in a constant state of deciding what we should zoom in on and embrace and what we should step back from so we see the real size and importance of releasing it. Life is all about perspective.

If you hold on to pain and view life from a perspective of negativity, you will live a life of tension and stress. Release it.

If you hold on to love and joy, while viewing life from a perspective of positivity, you will live a life of happiness and peace. Embrace it.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
We can choose to release the negative in our life and
magnify and embrace the positive.
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THE BADGES OF LIFE by Pennie Hunt

8/2/2026

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When I found it, I wanted to put three fingers up and recite the Girl Scout Oath. The plastic bag lying on the bottom of my cedar chest held memories of my childhood. The Brownie beanie was crumbling, but my Girl Scout beanie, belt, bow tie, sash, and gloves were folded just the way they were left decades ago.

I unfolded the sash and laid it out to see the badges. Southwest Oklahoma Troop 901. Membership stars and the love pin that designated that I had shown love to family, friends, and the community. Angel wings showing the progression from being a Brownie to a Junior Girl Scout.

It was the badges that grabbed my attention. A coffee cup for hospitality. Footsteps for walking, hiking, and nature. Skating. Water sports. Cooking/baking. Love and care of animals. The more I researched the badges I earned, the more amazed I became. The areas I worked to learn about as a child were the areas I have always loved throughout my life.

Every morning I post a video of my coffee cup and welcome my followers into my day. I have always been a walker, hiker, and lover of nature. I grew up ice skating, roller skating, and water skiing. I can still skate and continue to be a water baby. Cooking and baking are one of my favorite pastimes. And if you know me, you know how I adore animals. Even the love pin struck me as I teach others how to, “Love Your Life- No Matter What!”

How could I have known when I was 9 years old that I would center my life around those areas? Do we come into this life with a knowing of what we are meant to be a part of? Is our big life picture destined to be created before we are aware?

Then the concept of gathering badges invaded my thoughts. I do remember the reading, the requirements, and the activities it took to be awarded a badge. As a young girl it was my first taste of this kind of accolade that seems to be repeated in life.

Our school grades were the same type of process. Team sports all have requirements and a level of accomplishment to receive the trophies. It is the same with work promotions and life stages that give us badges, titles, and status. Don’t forget the badges of being a spouse, parent, grandparent, and friend. Do we just continue to add badges until our life sash is full?

Last week I attended the National Speakers Association Conference (NSA). When I arrived, I put on my lanyard that held ribbons that documented my accomplishments. Fifteen+ Year Member. Power Women of NSA. NSA Author. It was my NSA sash.

For four days there were ceremonies for accomplishments. People were called on stage and the list of requirements they met were announced and then a ribbon, a title, or a trophy was awarded to them. As these people walked through the halls, fellow members oohed and awed over their ribbon or newly given recognition. They beamed with pride.

It was Girl Scouts all over again. I clearly remember walking over the small wooden bridge that ceremonially recognized the promotion from being a Brownie to a Junior Girl Scout. I remember wearing my sash and the pride I felt with every addition of a badge.

Maybe life doesn’t change as much as we think. We will always want another badge for our sash. We continue to reach for them until our life sash is full, folded and tucked into a plastic bag.

Then someday our badges may be found in a memory box of keepsakes.
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Pennie’s Life Lesson:
Life is a series of requirements and accomplishments.
Choose your badges wisely.
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ANSWER THE PHONE CALL by Pennie Hunt

WHAT IS YOUR STARFISH by Pennie Hunt

THE WORDS WE LEAVE UNSPOKEN by Pennie Hunt

THE FISH PERSPECTIVE - EMBRACE AND RELEASE by Pennie Hunt

THE BADGES OF LIFE by Pennie Hunt

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​ANSWER THE PHONE CALL by Pennie Hunt

WHAT IS YOUR STARFISH by Pennie Hunt

​THE WORDS WE LEAVE UNSPOKEN by Pennie Hunt

THE FISH PERSPECTIVE - EMBRACE AND RELEASE by Pennie Hunt

​THE BADGES OF LIFE by Pennie Hunt

Author

Archives

Categories

ANSWER THE PHONE CALL by Pennie Hunt

THE WORDS WE LEAVE UNSPOKEN by Pennie Hunt

THE BADGES OF LIFE by Pennie Hunt