Let me be silly!

Jun9

IMG_0353

Sometimes I just want to be silly
Giggle and laugh at anything
Life is too short
And too complicated
To be serious all the time
We need to lighten up
And take one day at a time

We get so serious when we get older
It’s much more fun to be a child
Why do we forget how to play
To be a princess or a pilot in the sky?

The responsibilities of life
Weigh us down
But I’’m not going to be
Weighed down

I’’m going to take the time
To laugh and play
To smile at the things that
Life brings my way

So, I guess that makes me
Seem immature or undignified
But I don’’t think that’’s what dignity’s about

I don’’t mind going against the norm
And if I end up breaking some rules
At least I’’be been true to myself
At least I won’t have any regrets

Lida Berghuis
March 24th, 2004

Surrounded

Jun8

Surrounded by mud
The lotus grows
Pure and white

Surrounded by darkness
The candle glows
At midnight

Surrounded by doubt
Faith shines resplendent
In the heart

Surrounded by fear
Serenity rules
As the heart turns heavenward

Surrounded by shadow
The flame is ignited
And burns bright!

Lida Berghuis
June 16th, 2006

Reading glasses

Jun7

I have a like-hate relationship with my glasses
I’ve had them for two years, I must confess!

I like them because they help me read
When lighting is poor and I must read tiny print
I like them because they are red
And in colours, red is my favorite!

But I hate them because they show my age
Because they imply that my eyes are not perfect
I feel self-conscious when I put them on
That’s supposed to be my mother or grandma!

But one day I saw a dear friend
Who took out her glasses with much flair
She wasn’t concerned about her age
She felt she had earned her place with grace

With self-assuredness and much poise
She proceeded to put the glasses on her nose!
She looked at her notes and then at us
Very content with her place in life

That made me see my glasses in another light
So what, I’m not twenty or twenty five
Forty and forty five is good too
And so will be sixty and sixty two!!

So the next time I need my glasses on
I’ll try not to snicker and feel awkward
I’ll try to put them on with pride
So I’m getting older, so what?

December 19th, 2008
Story telling at Lisbeth and Wytze’s place
With Fred

When the center shifts!

Jun5

When I was a child
I felt like I was the center of the universe
The world revolved around me
My plans
My wants
My needs…

When I got married
The focus shifted
To us, from me…
We planned things together
We made decisions together
The center seemed to be
Somewhere between Albert and me

When I had Natalie
The center shifted once more
My daughter became the center
And that was something to get used to

Sleepless nights
Restricted freedom
A child who needed attention
All the time!

When Natasha arrived
Natalie had to share the center with her
And that was not easy

We now had two daughters who needed attention
Two children who took turns
To wake up at night!
The joys were there too
And still are
But once the center shifts
It’’s forever gone!

Nicholas arrived
And the center shifted again
Our needs were now
Fourth or fifth on the list
And we were nowhere near the center!

No longer the center of the universe
No longer the object of attention
This is what parenthood means
This is how we grow within!

Lida Berghuis
April 9th, 2004

Listen with your heart!

Jun2

Listen with the ear of your heart*
It’s the heart that listens, after all

When I speak to people
Who speak another tongue
It’s my heart that listens
My ears tag along!

It’s the eyes that speak
The language of the body that
Tells the tale

Words are wonderful
But the story
Is much more complex

If we only concentrate
On the words
We get only
Part of the tale

It’s the smile that speaks
The laughter that exclaims
It’s the sadness in the eye
What is left unsaid!

Lida Berghuis
July 11th, 2004
* Saint Benedict

What I needed!

May28

It’s like a re-birth!
What was lost
Is back again
The person I was longing for
The energy that eluded me
The smile that would be sincere
The laughter that would pierce the silence
Is back again!

After four months of darkness
I see the light
After four months of hopelessness
I have hope again
After four months of sorrow
I feel joy again

The confidence that had left
Is back
The reason to be alive
Exists
Joyful moments
Have returned
I don’t have to ask
When at last

What have I learned?
To have faith!
Who should I turn to?
My friends!
I needed to have implicit trust
In someone
I needed to share my sorrows
And to cry

To rid myself of this
Image of perfection
To be vulnerable
From time to time
To not be ashamed of
My weaknesses
To love who I am
All the time

My strengths
My weaknesses
My stumbles and falls
My struggles
My inadequacy
My foibles and all

It is so hard to find
Those we trust
It is so hard to share
When we’re down
It is so hard to hang on
When all hope is gone
It is so hard to believe
When darkness abounds

What will I say
To my friends?
How will they react?
Will they still love me?
Will they understand?

Shoulders to lean on
Friends to hold my hands
Those who won’t judge me
Those who understand
That’s what I needed
That’s what I got
That’s why am thankful
That’s why I smile!

Lida Berghuis
August 8th, 2008

The colour of contentment

May26

What is the colour of contentment?
Pale pink
Like the petals of a flower
Stretched out in the spring sun
It’s easy on the eyes
Soothing to the soul
Contentment is one of my goals in life

What’ is the colour of gratitude?
Bright orange like the rays of the sun
It comes out in the morning
As I wake up

What is the colour of persistence?
dark blue
It’s a colour I haven’t been using much
But I intend to…

What is the colour of the spirit?
Pure white…
This colour enchants us
And transports us to another wold
This is my favorite colour of all

What is the colour of creativity?
It’’s crimson red
Like the colour of molten lava
That flows from the depth of
Our hearts

What’ is the colour of joy?
Bright red, like flames of fire
In the night sky
It warms, it delights
It brings us together
Like laughter or a heartfelt hug!

What is the colour of serenity?
Off white
Pure like spirit, gentle and kind
Serenity comes from wisdom

What is the colour of diversity?
The colours of the rainbow in the sky
The rainbow of diversity ends in
The pot of gold
I appreciate diversity
It’s in my blood!

Lida Berghuis
March 25th, 2010

Strong women

May24

Strong women know to dream
Know what they want
They know what they are good at
And what they’’re not

They are compassionate and caring
But know how to set limits
They won’’t say yes to everything
They know when to say no
And when to say maybe!
They are wise and tactful
They are loving and sincere!

Strong women hang out with
Others who are strong
They feed off their energy
They learn, they try
Try new things
Are open to new ideas
They are adventurous
Out of the box!

Strong women are joyful and free
They are passionate
That’s easy to see!
Strong women like to forge new paths
Tradition is respected
But so are new ways

Strong women
Attract strong men
Together they are the
Wings of a bird
As they fly
They get stronger
They travel the world
Move in unison

Strong women keep on learning
And doing things
They never arrive
They keep going

I’m lucky to have
Many women friends like this
They inspire me
Their warmth surrounds me

From them I learn how to be myself
How to be true to who I am and take care of myself
From them I learn what passion is
What confidence and assertiveness is

Strong women
Help each other along
The success and happiness of one
Is that of them all
It’s a sisterhood
It’s a bond
That won’t be broken
During trials!

Lida Berghuis
May 22nd, 2010

One sock on!

May20

One sock off!

Nicholas has
One sock on
One sock off
It’s an odd image
But what stands out
Is the he doesn’t mind!

I see him walking down the hall
One sock on
One sock off
I wonder why he doesn’t
Take the other sock off
Or put the first sock on!

Asymmetry
Something odd
It catches my eyes
He is so at ease with himself

I ask him
“What happened to your sock?”
He says, “Natasha took it off!”
I am surprised that he doesn’t mind
He keeps walking
One sock on
One sock off
I keep staring at him
And wonder why
It bothers me that much
That he has only one sock on!

Lida Berghuis
February 23rd, 2004

The colour of love

May19

What is the colour of love
One asked
Red is the colour of love
Said one
Red is the colour of passion and fun
Red is the best colour of all!

Yellow is the colour of love
One said
Yellow, the colour of my beloved’s locks!

Purple is the colour of love
Said one
Of sunrise, and sunsets and oceans of love

White is the colour of love
One said
Of purity and sincerity
Of the deepest love!

All colours are the colour of love
The answer came
When you are with the one you love!

Lida Berghuis
August 21st, 2007
After Martin Kerr’s concert at our home