Archive | August 2015

Clouds

Aug31

My sunny day became cloudy when I heard the news
How a few words can change one’s day

Some things seem unjust in this world
And yet, they have a wisdom they say

Doesn’t mean sadness cannot visit once in a while
No amount of faith can stop that
We are human after all

But faith does help us move on
And not get stuck in the valley of sadness for long

Sadness is part of life as clouds belong to the sky
But we can be assured that
Eventually, the sun will come out

Lida Berghuis
August 31st, 2015

Tears

Aug27

I don’t like crying, nobody does
Emotions are raw
There is grief involved
Or confusion
Or misunderstanding

My eyes sting
My face contorts in ways
That I don’t want

But I’ve noticed that
After the tears, there is a calm
That overcomes me
Some of the sadness leaves

Suddenly the world is not as harsh
Grief is not as backbreaking
And a glimmer of hope appears

The tears have washed
Some of the sadness away
The dam of emotions has opened
And relieved the pressure the was built up

Tears, like many unpleasant things in life
Lead to clear skies and
The return of the sun…

Lida Berghuis
August 26th, 2015

The journey

Aug26

The journey

Can an outward journey lead to an inward journey?
Can we find what we are looking for outside ourselves?

Sometimes a journey to a land far off awakens a dormant part of us
Helps us see with new eyes and enables us to walk a different walk

Sometimes we need to leave the familiar behind
To be faced with uncertainty and unfamiliarity
To appreciate what we already have

Sometimes hearing others’ point of view
Can make us question our assumptions and make us think
It can make us go deeper in the inward journey

And sometimes to journey inward
One need not go anywhere
One needs to open one’s heart
To look with a searching eye
To listen to unspoken words
To live a conscious life

Sometimes the inward journey happens at home
In familiar surroundings, but unfamiliar territory

Both kinds of journey require a thirst for knowledge
A desire for adventure
and being open to change and growth

The outward journey
If it doesn’t lead to an inward journey
Hasn’t fulfilled its potential
It’s the inward journey that transforms us

Lida Berghuis
August 25th, 2015

Connection

Aug24

0B52F4EC-FEB3-4A39-A108-4EDE4F1109AC

Connecting to others is what life’s about
Life without connections is meaningless
Connection is based on vulnerability
Letting our guard down
Appearing less than perfect
Admitting to not knowing
To uncertainty
To confusion
Asking for help when we fall down
Sharing the hard times

If we let someone into our lives
And confide in them
They will confide in us
But someone has to have the courage
To be the first one

We have all known adversity
But we will only share that with
People whom we feel close to
Those who won’t judge us
Those who will have time for us
Those who will hang around in tough times

These kinds of connections
Only come about if we are open about our ups and downs
And are willing to take off the mask of ‘feeling fine’

August 24th, 2015

Transformation

Aug21

It’s the times that we think
Nothing is happening in our lives
Or the times that challenge us most that
Make us who we are

Change happens slowly
Transformation is not a one day affair

And often the experiences that change us the most
Are not the most pleasant

They take us out of comfort One
They make us question our beliefs
They test our endurance and constancy

And only when we look back
Can we see what was happening
Had a transformative effect

But change requires a conscious effort
To see things in a new way
To question our assumptions
To search for meaning

It’s our thoughts and actions
That lead to change
The desire to learn
To look with new eyes
To understand better
To go deeper

And perhaps it can be a solace
During challenging times to know
Life changing can be the result…

Finding the sacred in us…

Aug20

Can a place draw you closer to your
Authentic self…
To the sacred within you?

Can a place move you so that you forget
What was pre-occupying you?
Replacing it with feelings of thankfulness
And serenity?

Can a place have the fragrance of love?
Even the air you breath, different from
Other places?

Can a place lift you up to the heights of ecstasy
And bring you to the shore of joy?

Can a place draw you to itself as if
A force was attracting you?

Can a place inspire you to write
To record your thoughts and feelings?

Yes, such places do exist
And when I find one I keep going back
To fill my cup!

August 17th, 2015

When the door opens

Aug19

Sometimes a door opens unexpectedly…

Sometimes we are not even aware of the
Existence of the door…

But once the door is open
We need to step inside and look around
Pay attention, observe

There are bound to be interesting things
Unknown things
Even another wold we were not aware of
Until then

Once the door is open
Courage is needed to explore this new realm
And take on the challenges it presents us with

Once the door is open
We should not question it
We should walk right in
And partake of the delights of
This new landscape

The encounter

Aug9

I saw him once
Or did I?
He seemed very real at the time
More than real
He was splendidly alive!

He came to me
We started to talk
The connection was immediate
Between us

It doesn’t take long
To connect with someone’s heart

We dined together
He saw my paintings
He said the hyacinths I drew
Were wonderfully fragrant
I gave the painting to him…

He gave me his poems
I translated them
They stayed in storage
For a long time

And flood waters
May have destroyed them

Was he real?
Was it a dream?
Did we even ever meet?

We did!
He has my painting
I have his poetry
Some of which
I committed to heart

That short encounter
Will stay with me
I don’t know where he is…
But does it matter, really?

Lida Berghuis
August 9th, 2015

Homecoming

Aug9

At Green Acre
Making friends
Renewing friendships
Building bonds that will last
A life time

Amazing conversations
Wonderful people
From across the US
And a few from Canada

The magic of Green Acre is alive and well
So much positivity in the air…
Flowers outside
Flowers inside
What more can one want

Few days of the respite
From the world around us
Living an elevated life

Prayers and singing
Lectures and discussions
Music and games
Family reunions
Grandchildren spending time
With grandma and grandpa

Getting together at home coming
Is a true homecoming for us all!

August 8th, 2015
Green Acre

Our essence

Aug6

Our essence

To learn new things
To go into uncharted territory
To accept starting at the bottom to build
A tall edifice
To explore the unknown
To put the different parts of the puzzle together
One by one
To persevere when it’s not easy
To be patient and not disappointed
With the slow rate of advance
To see the cup as half full
To laugh in the face of challenges
To raise to the occasion
To have faith

These are the strengths of the human spirit
The invisible part of us
The part we sometimes need to pay more
Attention to…
Our essence
Our future
Our treasure

Lida Berghuis
August 4th, 2015