Archive | April 2011

If my heart was a suitcase

If my heart was a suitcase
That could only fit five things

In my heart I’’d keep love…
Love for beauty
Love for fun
Love for my friends and family
Love for light

In my heart I’’d keep, joy…
Joy of wonder
Joy of creativity
Joy of travel
Joy of wisdom

In my heart I’’d keep freedom
Freedom to be me
Freedom to share my thoughts
Freedom to learn and grow
Freedom to explore

In my heart I’’d keep music
Music of poetry and song
Music of nature songs
Music of the world
Music for my soul

In my heart I’’d keep kindness
Kindness to you and me
Kindness to melt the hearts
Kindness to share and give
Kindness to grow and thrive

If my heart was a suitcase
These are the things I would take along

Lida Berghuis
April 24th, 2011

To my children!

dsc00531Sometimes we think we’’ve done
Everything right
Crossed the t’’s
Dotted the i’s
Taken care to be thorough
Taken the time

And yet something goes wrong

Sometimes we think
We’’ve learned from our experiences
In the past
Been there, done that
Figured it out

And yet we are so surprised
To be where we thought
We would not go one more time

Sometimes we’’re so sure
We’’re on the right track
Have thought things out
The road seems smooth and flat

But detours appear
Out of nowhere
We’’re taken by surprise again

Sometimes we think
We’’ve had our share of trials
Suffered enough
Been tested and tried

But we encounter
Another hurricane, and …
What we’’d so carefully built
Disappears in an instant!

Call it unfair
Cry out: not again!
Curl up from distress
Or lash out with rage

Reality can’’t be changed
You can’’t go back
And start again

But you can go forward
And problem solve
Think and pray
And talk things out

This life, is a series of marathons
The finish line, not for the faint of heart!

We train
We prepare
We do our best
But surprises will
Always be there

So, take it one day at a time
You will surely overcome
There will be gray days
Rain and hurricane
But the sun will shine again
You will feel better than you did before
Because you have overcome
And understand more!

Lida Berghuis
April 5th, 2011

Make me laugh!

If you want to make me happy
Make me laugh!
Don’’t need expensive gifts
Or a Caribbean cruise
Just make me laugh!

If you want me to pay attention
Make me laugh!
Don’’t need fancy power points
Or audiovisual aids
Just make me laugh

If you want me to be your friend
Make me laugh
Laughter binds hearts
Like nothing else can

I have nothing against crying
Or being serious
But there is enough of that
Make me laugh!

Laughter is healing
Laughter is the best medicine
We all know that
So give me my vitamins
Make me laugh!

Lida Berghuis
April 4th, 2011

Time to bloom!

To bloom or not to bloom!
To be true to oneself or not!
To risk rejection, falls, or other unknowns
To leave what’s comfortable behind

Blooming is natural
The way things should go
But blooming is not inevitable
Buds can stay closed

Wasted beauty
Wasted perfume
A loss for the flower
And for us too!

To bloom
We need to be nurtured
We need light
Water and protection
From the storms around

But when all the conditions
Are all right
The final step is
Up to us!

Bloom
Get out of your comfort zone
Bloom
Because that’s what you were created for
Bloom
Don’t by shy, timid or restrained
Bloom
It’s time to perfume that air

Lida Berghuis
April 3rd, 2011