My friend is not perfect
Neither am I
So I wrote in my diary
When I was thirteen
There is a lot of truth to that even now
If we are to look at someone’s faults
It’s impossible to befriend them
If we overlook one another’s shortcomings
We can have many friends
Focus on their strengths
Pay attention to the gifts they have
To the joy they bring you
To their listening ear
Don’t expect perfection, ever
Because you will be disappointed
Time after time
July 14, 2025
When I feel something is not right
When I miss my smile
When things don’t seem exciting
When there is a yearning in my heart
I draw or I write
When I miss the sunshine
Because it’s been raining all day
When I need a pick me up
Any time of day
I draw or I write
When I draw or write
I’m in another world
My focus is on the paper
And the thoughts in my head
It’s a magical time
And when the poem is done
When the drawing is finished
I feel uplifted and I want to smile
What is this magic?
The act of creation?
Why does it cheer me up?
Isn’t creating beauty therapeutic after all?
I don’t know the answers to these questions
And that’s fine
All I know is that I will be writing and drawing
For the rest of my life
February 28th, 2024
What is the secret?
Saying good bye to perfectionism
Being able to be vulnerable
And share your shortcomings or problems
Not being afraid of being judged
With that comes freedom
Freedom to be who you really are
Freedom to break the heavy masks of pretention
With that comes serenity, peacefulness
With that comes feeling light, having nothing to hide
With that comes authentic friendships which bring you joy
This is the secret
February 23, 2024
We are reborn many times in life
After a serious illness
After surviving hopelessness
After recovering from the challenges of life
Marriage can be a rebirth
Allowing yourself to be more of who you are
Becoming a mother is a rebirth
Into a world where mothering will dominate for a long time
Achieving your dreams can be a rebirth
Arriving at the shore of what you have strived for
In the same manner, death is a rebirth
Being born into the world of spirit
The essential part of who we are
A glorious spiritual world awaits us
This is the most important rebirth of our lives
February 14, 2024
In the company of fellow artists
I enjoy my conversations with them
“Oh, yes that’s exactly how I feel”
“That is a great point!”
“Couldn’t have said it better myself!”
These conversations bring me joy
Expand my knowledge
Touch my soul
To talk to an artist is healing
Because art is healing
And helps us connect
“Art is a window to the spiritual world”
We need to connect to the spiritual world
Draw on its power
But uplifted by it
Be enveloped in its warmth
“We are spiritual beings having a human experience”
Thank you to my fellow artist for accompanying me
On my path of exploring my creativity
I’m grateful for their input
I would talk to an artist anytime, anywhere
It’s like talking to my brother or sister
Dec 18, 2023
“Creativity is free play with no rules”
This speaks to me
This frees me to be who I am
To create what I want
Not to judge myself or my work
Creating should be fun, not a burden
Creating should bring us joy
Rules create restrictions
And creativity needs freedom
When we create
There is no right or wrong
What we create is a reflection of who we are
Others may not understand it
Or may be critical of it
But that should not discourage us
What we create is valuable at all times
Sometimes the finished work may not be what we expected
Sometimes we learn a lesson we can apply later
But continuing to create is the way to success
Success in sharing our voice
Success in being a conduit for the forces of the universe
So, let’s play
Let’s create and be joyful
Let’s not worry about rules
As they say, rules are made to be broken
There would be no innovation
If everyone kept doing the same thing
November 8, 2023
*Rick Rubin
Over time, scars become part of us
They reflect the experiences we’ve had
And hardships we have endured
They decorate our body
And tell a story to whoever is willing to listen
I have a scar on my wrist which I’ve had since my childhood
I don’t even think of it as a scar anymore
It’s just how the inside of my left wrist looks like
It happened when I was 5 or 6
I broke a glass window as I tried to stop myself
After having run towards it
I no longer remember the pain or the bloody scene
All I know is that I survived it
My breast cancer scars will become of part of me too
I’ll accept them and see them as a part of my healing
January 31st, 2023
It’s like a rebirth
Every time I get out of a depression
Yes, I can mourn the time lost
Be upset that I found myself in the valley of fog again
Or I can be grateful
To have my energy back
To feel like writing again
To laugh out loud
To plan projects
To be creative
And fully participate in life again
You forget what you have till you lose it
You can take so much for granted
Even the cloudy days don’t bother me as much
When the sun shines in my heart
Jan 19, 2023
It is a grey fall day
The trees are wearing their yellow frocks
Some are not wearing clothes any longer
They must be shivering in the autumn cold
As I look at our back yard
And contemplate this fall day
I’m transported to next spring
when flowers will blossom again
When the trees will wear their green garb
When the butterflies will look for beautiful flowers to hover around
When the sun will shine bright
And then I think to myself
We have to go through winter first
Days will become darker and colder
Snow will cover the ground
Nothing will seem to be alive any longer
The north wind will blow
And a chill will descend on the land
But those dreary days will pass
And spring will arrive
And we can celebrate the return of joy
We can dance in the streets
We can sing at the top of our lungs
Because it will have been a long winter
And a very well deserved spring
October 14th, 2022
It’s been years that I’ve been wondering when will freedom return to Iran
When will women be able to choose how they dress themselves
When can they freely and without fear walk in the streets
When will they not be considered the weaker sex
When will their contributions to society inside and outside the home will be celebrated
When can they bike and swim and sing and dance
When can they be the voice of half of their communities
It’s been years
I’ve hoped
And then my hopes were dashed
Then a glimmering of a dawn
Before darkness enveloped that land
It’s been years
And I’ve thought to myself sometimes
I will return to Iran one day
But that day wearing the headscarf will no longer be mandatory
Women will show their lovely hair
And laugh and sing with joy about the freedom that has been so long in coming
October 11th, 2022
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lida's musings 