Tag Archive | compassion

As I get older

Dec28

 

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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

My hopes for the spring

Mar13

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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

Extraordinary times

May6

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Sometimes you think you know the scale of a problem

That you can see the beginning, the middle and the end

And then you realize you had been too optimistic and underestimated  the problem

What were to be temporary changes will  last much longer

 

You realize that this problem is larger than life

That it has caused changes we could have never imagined

That we’re in this for the long haul

This is not a problem that can be wished away
Scores of scientists are doing their best

To find a solution to something they’ve never seen

But this work can’t be done quickly

 

The economy is in terrible shape

The stock markets have plummeted 

Unemployment is where it has never been

Schools are closed and so are businesses

And these are problems that are worldwide

Almost no country has remained unaffected

 

These are extraordinary times

The welfare of people should come first

The economy and the markets can’t be the priority

It’s time for compassion and care

 

May 6th, 2020

 

Formative days

Apr14

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These are days of isolation

Of social distancing

Of hunkering down 

 

These are the days of slowing down

Driving less

Travelling much less

Returning home

 

These are unusual times

The world is going through a crisis

And geography and borders matter not

 

These are days of compassion for others and ourselves

Of the selflessness of those who venture out for us

The nurses the doctors and other essential workers

Who must continue to be out and about

 

These are the days of realizing 

The level of our interdependence 

These are the days of coming together

To look for solutions 

 

These are the days of empathy

Of patience

Of evaluation

 

These days are formative days

The effect of which will last a long time

 

April 14th, 2020

Our new reality

Apr10

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Our new reality

Two feet apart

Grandparents who can’t be visited

Parties that can’t be held

Schools out of session

Universities on line

Theatres and sports arenas empty

Working from home

Zoom meetings

Isolation for those who live alone

 

If we choose International cooperation

Share scientific data

Care for the vulnerable in our communities

House those who live on the streets

Commute less

Pray more

Empathize more

Share more

Acknowledge the oneness of our species

Acknowledge our interdependence

 

Then our new reality

Has some draw-backs in the short term

But it can be very beneficial in the long run

 

April 10th, 2020

Our part

Jan10

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Sometimes a handful of people make decisions
That affect millions of people

Wise decisions can be made

Dangerous decisions can be made

 

Those decisions will be made

One way or another

And we don’t have much influence on them

 

All we can do is to do our share

To bring a little kindness into the world

To show compassion to one another

And to see all of us as members of one family

 

January 2019

Beauty

Feb26

white flower

 

What is beauty?
Beauty is in being authentic
Being truthful with ourselves and with others
Being sincere in our daily interactions

What is beauty?
It’s all the colors of the rainbow
It’s the diversity we see

What is beauty?
Beauty is joy
It’s a radiant smile

What’s beauty?
It’s a compassionate heart

Real beauty is invisible to the eye

Feb. 23rd, 2018

Points of light

Nov14

The night is darkest before the dawn they say
Darkness is evident in the world today
Killing in the name of God has become common place
What God intended was love not this!

Children suffer and die from hunger
As we throw away mountains of food
Girl children are deprived of education
Who makes these rules?

Darkness rears its ugly head too often these days
But hope and love can’t be eliminated by darkness
The atrocities we see
The selfishness and hunger after power that perpetrates them
They sadden our hearts, but can’t demoralize us

Goodness and love
Compassion and kindness
Justice and mercy will prevail

There is a lot of gloom in the world
But there are points of light as well

Neighbours helping neighbours
People opening their homes to strangers
Out of love
Millions of people volunteering their time
Trying to make a difference in someone’s life

These points of light are our hope
Light will conquer darkness in the long run

November 14th, 2015
Lida Berghuis

Connection!

Oct12

We are super-connected
Yet, so disconnected at times
We have the technology
But to transform the world we live in
We need to add heart!
Because when hearts connect
There’’s nothing that can’’t be done!

We have the World Wide Web and the Cloud
We are connected to each other 24 hours a day
But the connection that we need
To change the world we live in
Is super low-tech!

This connection can be made with a smile
A shared moment of joy
It can be made with an eye contact
That acknowledges the other person

This connection is made by feeling the pain of someone who is in distress
Someone who needs a helping hand
And listening ear

For this connection, all one needs is love
A sense of belonging to the whole and
Being responsible for the welfare of all

So, as we get better connected technologically each day
Let’s not forget this most important connection

Lida Berghuis
October 12th, 2014

Inspired by:
Reimaging the world From scarcity to prosperity
Eliane Ubalijoro | TEDxConcordia