Archive | October 2011

Telling heals…

Oct29

Sometimes I wonder why I write so often
Why I tell the story of my days and share my thoughts
There are many answers of course
Today I read somewhere, “It’’s the telling that heals

When I talk of sorrow
Some of it leaves
When I talk of tests and trials
They acquire meaning
Sorrow is transformed into joy
Trials transform into lessons learned

Telling heals
That’’s why a conversation
With a beloved friend
Is the best medicine for me

Telling heals
Emotion is released
The story that was trapped within
And caused me pain
Can finally leave

So, I’’ll tell my story
And you can tell yours
To be healed
To be consoled

And next time you’’re listening
To a friend’’s story
You know that you are part
Of the healing!

Lida Berghuis
October 29th, 2011

To die and so to grow!

Oct22

To die to the self
To grow towards the beloved
To die
And therefore see with new eyes
To die
To let go of old habits and thoughts

To be born anew
Requires that we die
The egg needs to crack
For the chick to emerge
The seed needs to break
For the plant to grow high

Therefore, life is a series of deaths
Childhood dies and adulthood emerges
Our adult self dies
For the soul to be free
Death is never the end things
It’s only the path to the beginning of things

Death involves pain and suffering, of course
It’s hard to associate pain with growth
But once we’ve experienced a few beginnings, we
Can be assured of how things work

Lida Berghuis
October 2nd 2011

It can wait!

Oct18

Today
I don’t care what’s on my to-do list
Today
The phone calls can wait
Today
The errands and the chores
The decisions that need to be made
The bills that need to be paid
The laundry that needs to be done
Can wait
It has to wait
If I want to keep my sanity
It has to wait
Because I need a break
It has to wait
Because I’m not a machine
It has to wait
Or I will break!

Today I give myself permission
To do the things I love!
Today I allow myself
To be a child at heart!

Today
Is my day of rest
Today
I take responsibility for my health
Today
I’ll put the lessons I’ve learned into use
And I won’t wait till it’s too late
Today
I choose to play
So tomorrow I can get back to work again!

Lida Berghuis
October 18th, 2011

Perfect façade!

Oct13

 

When I hide my weaknesses
I give the appearance of being strong
But this appearance is false
And that strength is false!

When I share my weaknesses
And they’re there to be seen
Does that make me appear weak?
Or is it not more likely
That others will see themselves in me?
Not perfect and struggling

Is it not likely that my weakness
Will inspire a friend
To lend a hand
To give me a hug
To tell her own story
Of troubles and trials?

Where does this idea of ‘always strong’
‘always together’ come from?
Why do I need to appear together
And never fall apart

It’s my imperfections
That make me real
Perfection is reserved
For angels and saints
Not mere mortals
Like you and I

Afraid to show vulnerability
I used to hide my tears and fears deep inside
Now I know that it’s showing vulnerability
That strengthens friendships
Sharing hard times creates strong bonds
Now I know
Perfection is an illusion
We can’t always smile!

Lida Berghuis
October 13th, 2011

The maze of life

Oct6

We start at one corner
Seeking the goal
The way out
We make some false starts
But that’s a must

No perfect way to traverse the maze
Each one chooses a different way

Even though the destination
Seems to be the goal
Each time we make it
Through a maze
We will be invited to start again

No need to rush
Through the maze of life
Better to go slow
Meditate a while
One good move
Better than a few wrong ones

Once we’ve been through
A maze or two
We’ll see the pattern
Discover the groove

We’ll see the value
Of reflection and a slower pace
We’ll realize that there’s no hurry
To get to the end

We’ll focus on the process
Of getting there
Accumulate wisdom
On the way

The maze of life
Passes through desserts dry
Mountains high
Rivers that rush
And forests, lush
The secret is not to give up
When the going gets tough
Not to fear challenges and hard times
They are the most valuable times

The maze of life
Full of twists and turns
The one who designed it
Knew the secret!

Lida Berghuis
September 18th, 2011

The blessed shore of sleep

Oct1

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The blessed shore of sleep
I arrive there every night
And what a relief it is
To rest my mind

Often, as I put my head on the pillow
I smile
Knowing that I can leave daily life behind
With decisions that need to be made
The tasks that need to be completed
The emotions that need to be experienced
The feelings I need to let go of

Sleeping and dreaming
Like recess for the mind
A time to let go
A time with no agendas
No struggles
No musts

A time to listen to the voices
Of our ancestors
A time to travel to distant lands
And see with different eyes

And once the morning comes
I wake up
And I’’m ready to face another day
A day of juggling mind and heart
Knowing that sleep awaits
When my mind needs to slow down

Lida Berghuis
September 22nd, 2011