It’s as if a piece of our soul
Gets melded to each other
When we go through the fire of trials

My colleague and I experienced
A few weeks from hell
When we started teaching in a new location
In a new program
With little guidance
And lots to learn

It was sink or swim
And to say the water was rough
Is an understatement

The sheer strength of our will
And our support for each other
The reason we kept going
The reason we got to the other side

For four months we dealt with all manner
Of unexpected things
Ups and downs
Detours and stops

And this experience created a bond
A strong bond
A bond that puts a smile on our faces
When we see each other now

We confide in each other
We worry for the other
We cheer each other
And all this because we went through
The fire of trials!

Lida Berghuis
September 7th, 2014