Archive | December 2013

Gifts I like…

Dec25

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What is the best gift of all
I wonder to myself

A listening ear?
A kind heart?
A cheerful countenance?
These are some!

What would I want from a friend?
To let me be who I am
Don’t mind my silliness and my laughing out loud!

What is the best gift I can give?
My undivided attention
My understanding
My affection and love!

Material things are OK
But the best gifts are those
That don’t need to be wrapped
Ones that are made with
Thoughtful hands and hearts

And sometimes the best gifts come in words
Words of encouragement
Words of wisdom
Words of comfort

Sometimes it’s a phone call
From a friend
Who remembers you when
You feel alone
Or the friend that always
Has time for you!

The gifts I like don’t cost a thing
They just require love and understanding
And since they don’t take up any space
These are the gifts that I’ll carry with me
For all time and everywhere!

Lida Berghuis
December 25th, 2013

Love is blind!

Dec23

Why is the path to true love
Fraught with dangers, thorny paths, and mountains high?

Why do we have to suffer so much
Even when we find the one we love?

Why is the world of emotion so complicated?
Why can’t we design a computer program for love?

Make a spread sheet of pros and cons
A logical way to judge what our heart desires

Why aren’’t computers smart enough
To help us with this complicated equation called love?

Why do pain and joy intertwine
In this crazy thing called love?

Why can’’t we just live as monks and nuns
That way we wouldn’t have to worry about love!

There is a yearning in our hearts
We need love
True love is like water
To the thirsty one

We are drawn to the lucid spring of love
Even as a thirsty one wondering in the desert of life
Once we see the face of the beloved
It’s imprinted in our hearts

All the reasoning in the world
Is unable to change our mind
Love does blind us
To the loved one’s faults
Others will tell us this or that
But we are not sure what planet they are from!

Our heart longs to be with our loved one
Our heart only sees the beautiful qualities
Of the one we love

We would swim an ocean or desert cross
Without a thought
Without a doubt!

The people who love us try to tell us
To be careful not to drown, not to fall!
Sometimes we listen, sometimes we don’’t
Love is blind, after all!

But true love stands the test of time
This love doesn’t die because of trials
One can lose battles, but one wins the war
To be united with the loved one

This thing called love
For which blood has been shed time after time
This magical force
Is one we can’’t live without

The path never easy
But worth the fight!
Without love
Life would not be worthwhile!

Lida Berghuis
February 2nd 2004

The many colours of courage!

Dec22

Courage comes in so many shapes and forms
For some, it’s in chasing a storm
For some, it’s in fighting a worthy fight
For some, it’s in singing their song

Courage comes in many colours too
Black for daring
Brown for persevering
And gold for feeling worthy!

Courage!
Be fearless I was told!
And yet I thought
I had some courage before
But as we grow
Our courage also needs to grow

Courage to be who we are meant to be
Courage to share our gifts
Courage to remove the mask of pretense
Courage to remove the veil of fear

Courage to see the signs
Courage to listen to our guides

Courage to live our dreams
Courage is what I need!

Lida Berghuis
April 26th, 2010

The stay at home mom who didn’t!

Dec14

The stay at home mom?
Who is that?
One who never leaves the house?
I can’’t do that!
It does not seem appealing
Not at all!
Why should I stay home
All day long?

Those days, my dear
They are gone
Mothers are out and about!
I see them at coffee shops
At the mall
I see them at the library
At schools
At volunteer organizations
And at the “Y”
They bring their children with them there
They meet their neighbours and their friends

They don’’t have nine to five jobs
Their job needs them around the clock
Their office may be at home
But they are on the road a lot

Their job involves
Late night sessions
Overtime
Projects that stress them
Problems that need to be solved
Though training is mostly on the job
Research is required often
And good problem solving skills a must!

I’’m glad I could be there
When my children were small
But I was the stay at home mom
Who never stayed home
Who was always gone!

Lida Berghuis
April 6th, 2003
updated in 2013

Another note to self…

Dec12

If you’re tired and feel uninspired
Let it be…

If you’d like to see the sun but
It’s hiding behind the clouds
Let it be…

If you didn’t get something you wanted
Let it be…

Fighting what is, only brings one further down
Accepting what is, brings some calm

And always remember
Things will look up soon
Your energy will return
The sun will shine
Inspiration will visit soon

Contentment is the key
Doing the best with the situation we’re in
You never know what lessons
Are taught by sorrow and pain

If nothing else
It will increase your compassion
For others who are suffering as well
And remind you to help those in need
When the sun shines again

Each day be sure to count your blessings too
You can take so much for granted
And often don’t know what you have
Until it’s not there

Lida Berghuis
December 11th, 2013

East and West

Dec2

East and West
Like two sisters competing
For the affection of
Their father

East and West
Like two sisters desiring
Freedom
From rules and restrictions

Sister East
Still tied with shackles and chains
Sister West
Turned loose and free

Sister East
Wondering when her turn will be
Sister West
Wondering if freedom has set her free!

Sister East
Needing to be free
Sister West
Wondering what happiness lies in

Sister East,
Sister West
Together
You are free!

Lida Berghuis
Fall 2003

A more compassionate view of ‘mistakes’!

Dec1

The word mistake has negative connotations
I like to think of mistakes as choices we make
Choices that have their consequences
But can lead to better understanding

We make choices based on the knowledge we have at the time
Based on our understanding at that point in our lives
And since our understanding is always limited
And can grow all of our lives
We are bound to make choices that don’t give the desired result

We call them mistakes
But without them
We can’t expand our knowledge
And learn more about ourselves
And the world we live

And when it comes to making a choice
we sometimes hesitate
We agonize
We procrastinate
Because we are afraid to make a mistake

I have done that!
I’ve stood at the fork in the road
Stared far too long
Agonized far too much
Afraid of choosing the wrong path

But now I know
That the only thing I can do
At the fork in the road
Is pick a path based on what I know
At that point

I’ve learned that what we call
The wrong path
Is just a path
A path that will lead to
Better understanding

I’ve learned that after what we call mistakes
Life goes on
If we fall, we will get up
We are resilient!

And to expect the desired outcome
Every time we make a choice is absurd
I’ve learned that what we call mistakes
Are a necessary part of growth!

Lida berghuis
December 2nd, 2103