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La beauté

Sep6

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Merveilleuse beauté
Glorieuse perfection
L’âme de l’être humain
Est le soleil par lequel son corps Se retrouve illuminé!*
Cette beauté n’est pas superficielle En fin de compte,
La beauté n’est que le reflet de l’âme Qui apparait à nos yeux !
En contemplant
Un beau collage,
Un beau visage,
Ou un beau dessin
Ce qui apparait, c’est l’âme de l’artiste, Le soleil de ses pensées
En admirant
Une œuvre d’art,
Un repas délicieux,
Un design raffiné,
Ce que j’apprécie, c’est la beauté Qui se manifeste
Dans cette œuvre
La beauté élève,
Elle inspire
Et apporte joie et plaisir
La beauté n’est que le reflet de l’âme Se manifestant dans l’œuvre d’art

Lida Berghuis 2006

Translation by Fred Vellieux

*Bahaullah,
écrits de Baha’u’llah p. 153-155

Please look for more French translations by Fred Vellieux under the menu

Feeding one’s soul

Sep2

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We can’t please other people all the time and be happy ourselves
To please someone else, we put their needs first
It’s of course OK to do that sometimes
What we want can’t always be at the top of the list
But if we do that continuously
We will be neglecting your own needs and
Resentment builds
If we value ourselves
We must look out for ourselves
Do things that bring us joy
Serve others of course
But don’t forget we are important too
When we give priority to ourselves
Others may not understand
They will want our attention
And that, they can’t temporarily have
It takes courage to do what feeds our soul
But it’s one of the most important things we need to do

September 2nd, 2022

Scars

Aug30

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A scar is a symbol of a battle fought and won

It’s a reminder of one’s strength 

And the ability to stand the trials of life

It may not be beautiful at first sight

A sign of imperfection one may think

But life is full of tests and trials

And imperfection is part of life

A perfect body has no story to tell

A perfect body has not faced challenges

As time goes on we each accumulate our scars

Better that they be physical scars and not emotional ones

August 30th, 2022

Self care

Aug29

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We are the best advocates for ourselves

At the end of the day we are responsible

To take care of our physical and mental health

This taking care takes different shapes for different people

Some like to pamper themselves with a massage

Some like to shop

Some like to go for a walk in nature

Some like to hang out with a friend

Whatever that self care looks like for you

Please put it on our to-do list

And not at the bottom of the list

Where it goes most of the time

Take that needed activity and move it to the top of the list

You will be glad you did

I still have to remind myself to not make excuses

For foregoing my care routine

I can get swept up in other people’s needs

I can say I’ll do one day without it

But each time I take the time to care for myself

I feel happy I did

Self care is essential not optional

Others will also benefit from a happier you

August 29th, 2022

Physical pain

Aug23

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Pain,  pain, pain

Pain that does not go away

Tylenol and Oxycodone are not enough

Though they do take off the edge

The best remedy is distraction

With a movie

Or chatting with a friend

Physical pain is better than the emotional one though

That pain has no immediate remedy

Distraction works sometimes

But I prefer physical pain

My spirit is still strong

My attitude positive

These days will pass

And what will remain is a faint memory of pain

August 13th, 2022

3 days after surgery

21 days

Aug20

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His last time on WhatsApp was

2022-07-30, 4:15 pm Montreal time

21 days have gone by and his fate is not clear yet

His family knows little of what’s going on 

His friends worry for him daily

How will the authorities collect

Evidence of espionage when there is none?

Another arrest!

Was ten years in prison not enough?

And for crimes he did not commit?

For loving humanity?

For serving his community?

I talked to him the day before he was arrested

He was well

He was thankful

He was jovial as usual

We pray for him 

For fortitude and strength

Qualities he has in abundance already

I know he welcomes this sacrifice 

As he did the previous ones

I know he is grateful to stand up 

For what he believes in

I know he is victorious 

Whether in captivity or freedom

August 20th, 2022

For my dear friend, Afif Naimi

Cancer surviver

Aug20

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Cancer survivor is a heavy title to bear 

Cancer can be dangerous 

Surviving it is good however

But I think there is still a stigma that goes along with cancer

If not, we would talk about it more than we do

It’s kept hush hush most of the time

You hear years later that someone had cancer

And you never found out

Of course, it’s not something to advertise

But talking about it reduces the stigma

And increases awareness for others as well 

So, I’m a cancer survivor 

Healed and happy to live life as before

But perhaps it won’t be exactly as before

The scars will fade but won’t go away

And the checkups will continue regularly

But that’s a good thing

Like anything else in life 

Our experiences can be bearers of gifts

Depending on how we view them

And I’m grateful to be on the path of healing

With the support of my friends and family

August 19th, 2021

Showered with love

Aug9

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As I read the messages of love from my friends
My eyes tear up
So much kindness and care is evident in them

Messages from my classmates around the world
Messages from my friends in Montreal
Messages and calls from my family

Nothing can go wrong with so much love
I believe in the power of prayer and positive thoughts
I believe in their role in healing

If anything, this experience has shown me how much I’m loved
If anything, I can see more clearly the goodness
In everyone’s heart

August 9th, 2022

The day before my operation for breast cancer

What keeps you going?

Aug6


9E0B931C-6141-49EE-9408-29B540072B31What keeps you going in the face of injustice?

My spirituality he said

I believe in karma

That we reap what we sow

That there will be justice in the end

What keeps you going, he asked

Hope that the future will be brighter 

That what we do to better the world matters

What keeps you going, he asked

Love for my fellow man

Belief in goodness and truthfulness 

That living a virtuous life is important 

No matter what life throws at you 

What keeps you going, he asked

Faith in a higher power, he said 

August 4th 2022

 

Dedicated to my dear friend Afif Naimi who was recently arrested in Iran because he is a Baha’i 

The samurai

Jun6
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A samurai

Proud and strong 

On a background of mustard and grey

The sweater I knitted for Albert, oh so many years ago

In those times

I had the patience to follow a knitting guide

Row by row, colour by colour

Sometimes only knitting one row or two

I don’t remember how long it took me

To finish this project

But it probably took months

And when it was ready

Albert wore it gratefully

It now sits in our closet

A relic of the past 

But when I think of all the time and effort

That went into making this gift of love

I feel proud

June 6th, 2022