Bitter medicine

Aug24

Sometimes we see pain as an anomaly
As something that gets in the way of our ‘happiness’
Or we see periods of pain as lost time
As a detour on the way we were headed

We don’t want to be in pain
Or see others in pain
I think that’s normal of course
But pain seems to be unavoidable in this life
And even necessary for our growth

Pain, like a violent force
Shatters the ego
Our image of ourselves
As in control and self sufficient
Breaks down
Sometimes we glue the broken pieces together
Only for it to break one more time.

Pain is a teacher as well
It helps us learn to reach out to friends
To trust in them
Pain shows us we need each other in our lives

Pain helps us better understand the suffering of others
The depth of their despair
It causes us to try to find a way to help
Those in distress

We were created to endure pain
That’s the mechanism by which we grow
Some soul searching is required of course
We need to play our role in this growth

Like bitter medicine
Pain has good results
And in any case
There is no way around it
In our lives

August 22nd, 2016

Tidying up

Aug21

Papers, papers everywhere
Some on the couch, some on the floor
Some on the table in front of me
Some in the dining room

Keep, recycle, file
Recycle, file, consolidate
Then, find proper places for them

Faded files
Empty files
Files that can be gotten rid of
Files that have grown thick over the years
With papers going back more than ten years
Paper clips
Old binders
And oh, the note book I thought I had lost!

This kind of work needs concentration
The right mood
And perhaps certain stars need to align
That’s why I don’t do it often
I like to blame it on the stars!

And once you start in one area
You end up in another one and another one
Tidying up things
You were not even going to touch

After a couple of hours
My brain feels on fire
And my eyes feel like they are crossed
I decide it’s time to stop

This is not one day’s work
But I’ve made a good start
And will I be cooking tonight?
I think not!
August 21st, 2016

Easier said than done

Aug11

Emotional upheavals come our way
There is no way to avoid them
Then we have to put long term serenity
Over short term happiness

This is a difficult proposition
Status quo and temporary joy
Have great allure

The human spirit has to rise to the occasion
Flex its muscles
And accept the pain

Of course, all of this is easier
Said than done
August 11th, 2016

Connection

Jul23

You need to extend a hand
Before someone takes your hand
There is risk involved
Courage is required
But almost always
If the intention is right
People are waiting for an extended hand
The barriers are mostly in our own minds
We create them and give them shape
Our insecurities get in the way
Most often, kindness begets kindness
A smile is returned with a smile
And beautiful connections are made
Because someone took the first step
And reached out

July 22nd 2016

Questions

Jul14

 

When the doors close
Turn around
When the road is blocked
Choose another path

But what about perseverance?
What about persistence?
What about that?

The line between attachment
And detachment
Becomes blurry in an instant

What is stubbornness?
What is persistence?
When should one let go?
When should one move on?

Life’s a puzzle
And sometimes a maze
With big question marks
Around each bend

Give up on the idea
Of an easy life
Where things are straight forward
Where answers are found

September 20th, 2007

It is what it is

Jul14

It is what it is
Stop fighting with yourself
Accept the moment, as is

You feel change is happening slowly
That might be
But worrying about it
Won’t speed things up
If anything
It will create roadblocks

Sometimes it’s two steps forward
One step back
Others have gone through this
Take a deep breath
And get back on track!

It is what it is
It’s not bad
Even when it’s hard
It may lead you
To something new and grand

When it’s difficult
Persevere
Perseverance separates the weak
From the strong

It is what it is
This phrase frees you from worry
From disappointment
From questioning and doubt

Lida Berghuis
January 31st, 2011

My phone book

Jun27

My phone book is
Somewhat disorganized
Some say that could be a
A reflection of my thoughts

I beg to differ
So please tell me
What you think
After you hear my out

My phone book
Is organized in a special way
Alex Dahl is written under A
Bob Thompson is under T
Now that’s a problem, because

When looking for the number of my Dentist
I’m not sure if I should look for
Tremblay or for Guy?

His name is Guy Tremblay
But did I record his name
Under the G of Guy
Or the T of Tremblay?

I try T
But it’s not there
I look under G
It’s not there!

I go through each page
Trying to find
The number of my dentist
And then to my surprise
I find it written under D
D for Dentist

image

Enough!

Jun14

Do you sometimes feel like
You’ve heard enough bad news?

Enough crazy talk on TV
About how the solution to everything
Is to build a wall and isolate ourselves

Enough disturbing talk about ‘the others’
Those who are ‘evil’
Those whose parents come from somewhere else

Enough news of people
Dying needlessly
And no one being able to
Change anything
Because of big money and greed

I’m at that point
Don’t want to hear the negativity
The attacks
The counter attacks
The spin

Answers that don’t say anything
Statements that come out of nowhere
And are paraded as truth

I know I’ll listen to the news again
But for now, I need a break
June 14th, 2016

Perfect?

May28

We need not be perfect!

Where does this idea that perfect is good
That it’s the desired goal
Come from?
Why are we not comfortable with our flaws?

Perhaps it’s because not many
Successful people speak of their flaws
What we see on the outside
The perfect picture
Does not reflect what is inside

The reality is that visible or not
We all have limitations
We all have failed and cried
We all have messed up!

Perfect does not exist
And perhaps it should not
We learn from our imperfections and mistakes
They can be areas we work on

Normally, we don’t show our inadequacies
It’s just not done
What would others think?
Would they judge us?

Yet, it’s our foibles and flaws
That make us human and normal
Nobody is good at everything
That person does not exist
So, let’s be authentic
And talk about our failings and challenges sometimes

I guarantee that the sky won’t fall
And that we will be loved despite our flaws