At the cross roads of change
Scary times
Exciting times
Anxiety provoking times
Constructive times
Change is never easy
It upsets the exciting order
It makes us uncomfortable
But change is necessary for growth
And growth is often painful
With open eyes
And an open heart
On can proceed on the path of life
And from time to time
Move to a different highway
Toward one’s destination
January 28th, 2022
When you look for your glasses
And find them on your nose
When you put the salad topping
Next to your dog’s food in the cupboard
When names escape your mind
Like sand through your fingers
When your knees hurt from time to time
You know you are no longer 25
But that’s when you need to have compassion for yourself
Your body and memory may not be in their prime
But your heart is most likely more tender
Your rough edges have been smoothed in the rapids of life
You have more perspective and patience
Yes, the wrinkles have appeared and are there to stay
But wrinkles speak of challenges and lessons learned
Of laughter and joy
So be gentle with yourself
And think of what you have rather than
What you may have lost
December 28th, 2021
I’ve graduated from wearing cloth masks to boring surgical masks
The blue ones still remind me of hospitals
So, I have the black version
They are disposable but can be worn more than once
No washing necessary as before but
I still leave the form of my lipsticked lips inside them
The down side of masks is that it’s hard to hear others talk
It’s hard to to be heard
My smile can’t be seen
They are inconvenient, but
Masks are essential during these times
The N95 variety preferably
Omicron is not playing games
It definitely means business
These years will be remembered as masked years
A few weeks turned into a few months, and now a few years
If there were more unity among us
Life would have been simpler
But some don’t see it that way
They don’t want to be told what to do
They don’t want to conform
They question science
They don’t trust the experts
Countries need to cooperate too
We are not isolated entities anymore
What happens in one country will affect the other ones
Unless we come together and be united in our thoughts
Unless we are mindful of the influence of our actions on others
We will be wearing masks for a while longer
This is our reality right now
What we do affects the outcome
December 26th, 2021
We’ve had an unusual year and a half
All the distancing
All the worrying
All the isolation
All the confusion
All the triumphs and failures
All of us pulling together most times
But some being more lucky in their access to what they need
Our world is not operating as a whole yet
We are still segmented into countries and tribes
Otherwise we would probably be in a different place now
Will we learn our lesson?
I’m not sure
Our nationalism has a strong hold on us
In a world that operates as a whole
We insist on only looking out only for ourselves
There is mistrust
There is lack of compassion
There is lack of unity
What is for sure it that now to solve our problems
We need to work together
Today’s world works as a unit
And the sooner we figure that out the better
September 1st, 2021
My responsibly as a mother is the eduction of my children
I’ve been doing that for years now
In a way that is familiar to me
With them close by
But as they get older
Their education will come from places outside the home
And I need to let go
They will be around less often
But they are on their path of learning and experiencing new things
I won’t be involved in their day to day life
But I will be there to support and encourage them
Their mode of development has changed
They need the input of the society at large
And by letting go
I’m allowing them to continue to grow
August 9th, 2021
Unity can be an illusive thing
We know what it is theoretically
But what does it mean in practice?
We know we must be loving
But are we always?
We have good intentions
But sometimes we’re misunderstood
We want to creat harmony
But by what means?
There is a lot of hurt in our communities
But does that justify hurting someone else’s feelings?
We are still so flawed and need to learn many things
But we are on our way to perfection and unity
We have to be very patient with one another on this way
Sometimes we will learn our lessons the hard way
Sometimes we need to forgive and forget
The human condition is a complicated one
We know what we must do
But do we know how always?
July 5th, 2021
Embrace your struggle
It’s what will make you who you are
There are lessons you must learn
Gifts you must discover
And working through your struggles
Is how you will achieve those things
By overcoming your challenges
You will become the unique person who you are
They remove the veil and show what’s inside
Without toil and labor you are like a blank canvas
With them you can paint a lovely picture
So embrace the vicissitudes of life
They are gifts if you know how to open them
June 29th, 2021
These seem like the last few months of Covid if all goes well
Vaccinations are underway
Places are opening up
We can get together in our back yards
But things can change
The variants can cause some problems
We are not quite out of the woods yet
Nevertheless we see the light at the end of the tunnel
At the same time, we are so used to doing things differently
That it will take time to move forward
This has been an interesting time
Working from home is a reality now
Zoom meetings are here to stay
So much time and money will be saved
So much better for the environment
We will still go places
Being in the presence of others still has its reasons
But much more will be done online
We’ll be leaving these times behind
Realizing that our welfare depends on the welfare of others
That we should consider the needs of our neighbours
That the world is shrinking in size and the countries need to cooperate
The more privileged ones need to come to the aid of the less privileged
Our world is one
We can’t think of ourselves in isolation any longer
June 16th 2021
In life, somethings that we think are valuable
Are actually holding us hostage
The energy we put into acquiring them
And preserving them
Can be used better somewhere else
That expensive something that you want
Can put you in debt
Isn’t peace of mind more important?
And some beautiful things need a lot of maintenance
To keep them beautiful, to protect them
So these things we seek
Bring with them their own preoccupations
Simplicity costs less money and energy
Needs less maintenance
And it doesn’t weigh heavy on our shoulders
April 25th, 2021
The spring is returning
The snow is melting
The sun is shining
The birds are singing their song
Nature revives and
Birds return from their trips to warmer climes
I hope the ice of prejudice in our hears melts too
And we see each other as brothers and sisters
I hope the colour of our skin is seen a source of diversity
Not of separation and superiority
I hope we focus on the wellbeing of others, not just our own
I hope our characters are beautified like the flowers that will bloom
I hope we educate our children morally as well as scientifically
I hope women are treated as equals with dignity and respect
I hope the darkness of prejudice, envy and greed
Will give way to the light of the dawn
I hope flowers of justice, equality and trustworthiness will bloom
All I can do is to do may share, to play my part
To set lofty goals and serve my community
All I can do is to refine my character
To be diligent and conscientious
All I can do is practice moderation
Show respect and be compassionate
This is all I can do
This is all we can do
To beautify the world
As this spring arrives
March 11th, 2021
lida's musings 