The journey of life is not a smooth road trip
Detours seem to sneak up on us everywhere
Bumps appear all along the way
Sometimes all our energy goes into climbing a hill
That does not seem to end
Sometimes we find ourselves careening down a hill
At breakneck speed

Perhaps one of the hardest things in life
Is to find balance
To know when to slow down
When to keep going despite bad weather
And how long to drive before coming to a stop

Finding balance requires getting to know oneself
One’s limits
One’s strengths
One’s gifts

It requires audacity to be different
To stand out
It requires the courage of one’s convictions
When others think we are wrong
It requires wisdom that comes
From facing the challenges of life

Finding balance is a life-long quest
And like many other things in life
It’s about the journey and not the destination

Lida Berghuis
August 11th, 2014
Green Acre