A conversation with my son

Jul10

Conversation

Mommy, what happens when we die?
Death seems sad, it looks like we’re gone
And nothing remains

But our soul never dies…

Mommy, what is a ‘soul’?

your soul is your beautiful smile
Your inquisitive nature
Your kind heart
Your excitement and creativity
when you build LEGO cars…
Your sadness when your friend is down
Your curiosity to figure things out
All these questions you are asking
Are questions your soul wants to find out about!

But Mommy, then my soul is me!

Exactly!

But when I die I can’t see and play

You are right
Your body will no longer be there
But your soul will see in a different way
Will sense things in a new way
You will still recognize your family and friends
You can still grow and develop further

But Mommy, there is no LEGO there
What will I do
You told me before our soul is eternal
That seems like a long long time
Without toys to keep me occupied

Your soul will have other things to do
Things we don’t understand now
I promise you you won’t get bored
Yes, eternity is a long time…

So, I’ll see you when I get there

Of course my dear
I’ll wait impatiently for you
And we can be together always

That sounds good…

It’s time to sleep my dear
And dream good dreams
I’ll see you in the morning
Give you a big hug and then
You can tell me about your dreams!

Lida Berghuis
July 5th, 2015

Celebration

Jul8

imageAfter a long winter
I needed a new wardrobe
New clothes representing
A new me, a rebirth

After major upheavals one needs to
Mark the occasion, learn the lessons
And try to forge meaning from what was

Sometimes we can’t explain everything
Some mystery remains
But that is part of the condition of this life

I look forward more than I look behind me
I try to put my energy in new projects, new beginnings
And celebrate the coming of spring

After thirty odd years ….

Jul6

How does one catch up after thirty odd years?
Where does one start?

In the present, the past,
Or somewhere in between?
What does one first talk about?
Family, work, interests, or beliefs?

Who will one meet on the other side?
What will have happened in the meantime?

There are no good answers for these questions
The order of things matters not!
It’s a renewal of an old connection
One that was thought of as gone!

It’s a deepening of a friendship that was there before
It’s being a solace to another’s soul

With a common past the foundation is strong
The building we build will touch the clouds!

Lida Berghuis
July 5th, 2015

Your heart

Jul5

At the heart institute for treatment
But your heart is in perfect health
As loving as it can be
As patient as it can be
As joyful as it can be

No treatment needed for this compassionate heart
If anything we need to find how
Your heart became what it has become
Needless to say the trials of life have purified it
Needless to say prayer has burnished it

You may be in the heart institute for treatment
But your heart is in much better shape than ours…

Lida Berghuis
July 4th, 2015

fifty

Jul1

IMG_0353

We were fifteen
The cream of the crop
From all over Iran
Wide eyed and ready to take on the world

Idealism was the order of the day
Most things seemed possible at the time
Yet we had a lot to learn

Now, we’re fifty
Time has passed
We have scattered all over Iran
All over the world
No longer naive, we have experienced life
We have experienced love and heartache

Perhaps we now know the value of
Friendship more
Won’t take it for granted, if we once did

Each of us has forged a path
Done wonderful things
Challenges have been there too
But that’s where friendship comes in

Now our messages criss-cross the world
Weaving a web of love as they do
Perhaps a love exists that didn’t exist before
Living life has taught us this

We were fifteen, and now we’re fifty
My dear friends, it couldn’t be better than this!

Lida Berghuis
June 30th, 2015

What can I say?

Jun28

What can I say?

What can I write about the one who has sacrificed
His freedom for love?
What can I say about the one who can still laugh
Despite these trials?
What can I say about the one whose patience
Is being tested by love?

It seems like we are sometimes punished for love
“the watchman is running after us”
and all seems lost

But if we see the end in the beginning
We will see the light that emanates from this sacrifice
A light so bright
That it illumines the path for the rest of us

Deeds not words are needed today
His deeds an example for all of us
Kindness like honey drips from his every word
The scent of humility wafts gently toward us

What can I say about the one who has sacrificed
His freedom for love?
You inspire us and you make us proud!
Your friendship rejuvenates us and
We honor you for your sacrifice!

Lida Berghuis
June 27th, 2015

For Afif Naimi

For now…

Jun23

For now…

So, it’s not what I wanted
Nothing I planned
The situation plumps itself down on me
and I feel its heavy burden

Where did it come from?
Another surprise on the road of life?
Was it in my blind spot?
Why didn’t someone warn me?
I guess then it wouldn’t be a surprise!

Now it’s here
I feel the unease
Actually I don’t feel good at all
I was going merrily on the road of life
And now this…

I’m told I’m supposed to accept what comes my way
That resistance is futile
But how does one accept unpleasant things
The situation reminds me of one of the valleys of love:

“On this plane, the traveler meeteth with many a trial and reverse.
Now is he lifted up to heaven, now is he cast into the depths.
As it hath been said: “Now Thou drawest me to the summit of glory,
Again Thou castest me into the lowest abyss.”*

What is the traveller to do?
I can see that the opposite of acceptance is not helpful
Won’t change things
It only creates bad feelings

So first I have to accept it’s OK not to be in my comfort zone for now…
It’s OK to be frustrated … for now
It’s OK to not have it easy… for now
It’s OK! For now!

And in the meantime
I’ll look for solutions
I will try to get around the obstacles of life
And find an alternative route

The process is not pleasant, I admit
But accepting things the way they are now
And remaining thankful for all that is going right, is key!

Lida Berghuis
June 22nd, 2015

*Baha’u’llah, The Four Valleys

Miss Emily

Jun19

Miss Emily,
You chose your own society
Perhaps your soul, so fragile
Needed to be protected from
people who may hurt you unintentionally

Miss Emily,
You wrote about immortality
A subject close to my heart!
In this world of ours
Joy and sorrow coexist
Joy does not last very long
The world of spirit is a more sane one

Solitude was your choice
Your freedom
The birth place of your poems and ideas

Mysterious Miss Emily
You kept everyone guessing
Why this seclusion, they thought…

But if this seclusion made you happy
And was the crucible of your poems
Who are we to question it now…

Miss Maya

Jun17

Miss Maya, I heard your voice today
Reciting your poems elegantly

Miss Maya, you have left us now
You’re in a peaceful place

Miss Maya, Let us know how things are
What really matters in this world of ours
Is wealth and success what brings us tranquility
Or is it a gentle and pure heart?

Is status and prestige what stands us in good stead
Or it is service to our fellow man?

Are the trials of life without purpose
Or are they an essential part of life?

Miss Maya, now you know the workings
Of this world better than us
Give us your wisdom
Send us your blessings
Cheer our heart

June 17th, 2015