Tag Archive | Life

Fabulous 50!

Sep28

Turning fifty has turned out well
Who says 50 can’t be fun!
Turning fifty has all kinds of advantages
To prove my point, here are some…

First, life is less hectic
The kids are now older and can do so much more for themselves
They can even lend a hand here and there and make my load lighter
They do their own laundry, their own homework
They can drive themselves places and…
They can even feed themselves if need be!

Second, life is more stable
And my chosen career is enjoying a good flow
Uncertainties have changed to certainty in some areas of life

Third, now that I’m somewhat sure of myself and the decisions I make
I don’t need everyone’s approval all the time
And with that comes peace of mind!

Fourth, I’ve learned to set some limits
As to what I can and cannot do!
Saying no to some projects is becoming easier!

Fifth, I’ve learned not to compare myself with others
Their limits, their level of energy, their priorities are theirs
And I have my own!

Sixth, My fifty years of life have given me some understanding
In some areas of life
And I feel happy to share some of that with others sometimes

Seventh, I’ve realised the value of art, creativity, and writing in my life
I know now why I need to write, why I want to write, why I have to write!

I think seven reasons are enough
Although I think there are more reasons
Why I like being fifty!

The more years we live
The more accumulation of experience and knowledge we can have
If this translates into wisdom and compassion and deeper faith
How can that ever be bad?

Turning fifty has been wonderful
I feel comfortable in my own skin
Life has not been easy always
But then challenges are necessary in life
I’ve been fortunate in so many ways
I am thankful for the good and the hard times
In hind sight, the hard times have taught me more
Getting up after falling down has made me stronger
I still feel quite fragile sometimes
But being sensitive is alright!

I accept who I am
How far I’ve come
And I look to the future
With an open heart and an open mind!

Lida Berghuis
September 22nd, 2014

A work in progress!

Sep16

“You’ve got to let people know if their words hurt you
Staying silent at such times
When emotions churn like torrents in your heart
Is not a good thing!”

Apparently this is called being passive
And I know that it’s not a good thing
In fact, it’s a problematic thing!

The problem with being passive
Is that I pretend to be fine
But I’m anything but fine!

The problem with being passive
Is that I smile
But in reality, I’m ready to cry!

The problem with being passive
Is that I feel powerless
Attacked, yet unable to respond
I don’t want to attack back, just respond
I wear the mask of indifference or being content
But under the mask, I’m boiling mad!

The problem is that this takes me back to when I was a child
And I could not communicate my needs and wants
I sometimes felt powerless back then too, but didn’t even know what was wrong

So, what am I to do now
When I know more than I did before
I just need to feel strong enough
To speak up!
To let someone know I’m not feeling fine
That I feel angry and hurt
That I’m a sensitive soul
And sometimes feel too much!

This is a work in progress for me
I’m much better than I used to be
Most times, I can speak up and speak my mind
I can respond if I feel criticised and feel that
There is more to the story, and we need to talk

But sometimes still
When something comes out of the left field
When I don’t expect it
I can still be taken aback
Be silenced into submission
Feel powerless
Feel wronged!

And that’s OK too
Because life is a school of sorts
Learning never really ends
One does not attain perfection!
One is always a work in progress!

So, I try to learn from my experience and move on
I’m sure I’ll be tested one more time
And then I can show what I’ve learned
And what I still need to work on!

Lida Berghuis
September 16th, 2014

Valley of sadness…

Sep15

When a crisis visits, big or small

When the storm is relentless, will not stop…

Take a deep breath and feel what you feel
Every feeling should be welcome

But when the intensity of feeling gets hard to bear
Try to be gentle with yourself
Get busy doing something that cheers you up or
Lend a helping hand to a friend

Get outside of your world
And enter someone else’s life
Many people are suffering
Suffering doesn’t discriminate at all…

Sometimes little things or big things will get you down
You will enter the valley of sadness for a while
But if you keep walking and don’t stop
You will walk through the valley and eventually walk out!

The valley of sadness, can be hot and dry
It will challenge your endurance most times
But there is always an end if you persist
The secret is to hang in there and not give up!

Crossing the valley of sadness is much easier, of course
If you have good friends and a supportive family by your side!

Lida Berghuis
September 15, 2014

The ocean of life…

Sep12

I see the ocean of life
Sometimes calm
Sometimes tumultuous
Sometimes wild

But life goes on
Despite the ups and downs
Despite the storms that come
Despite the times that we think we will not survive

We are resilient
We will survive!
The ocean will return to calm
And we’ll be so glad we persevered
Didn’t give up

The ocean of life
Beautiful!
Dangerous!
Deceivingly serene at times!
Unnervingly turbulent at times!

But life goes on
Despite the changes and chances
Despite the sorrows and challenges
Despite the periods of grief that seem to not want to end

Hope and faith
Friendship and love
These are the things that help us navigate the ocean of life

Lida Berghuis
September 11th, 2014
Inspired by a composition by Leon Alatif

Chaos and order!

Sep4

Order to chaos
Chaos to order
That seems to be the cycle of life!

After chaos, order comes into being
But order can only last so long
Before it’s time to grow again
And chaos arrives to destroy the order that exists
To prepare the way for a new order, and calm!

When one is in one’s comfort zone
Life seems more pleasant of course!
But comfort never leads to growth!

Growth comes from the disorder of struggles
And challenges that may seem insurmountable at times!

Chaos and disorder, not comfortable
Not what we love
But oh, the results can be wonderful
If one persists long enough
And learns the lessons they teach us

The building needs to be destroyed
Before a new one can be built
An old idea must die
Old habits must be let go of
Old patterns replace new ones

Often, it’s after the dust has settled
New lessons learned
New thinking adopted
New habits formed
That one realises what the chaos was for!

What was thought of as misfortune
Can be seen as grace
What was painful
Can give rise to joy!
Illness can lead to clarity
Blocks in the road can lead us to another path

One’s best laid plans can come to naught
What emerges instead though
Can be a marvelous surprise!

Lida Berghuis
September 4th, 2014

On the lookout for beauty

Aug28

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On the lookout for beauty
Something to cheer my soul
Because doesn’t beauty do that so well?

A beautiful melody
A beautiful arrangement of flowers
A beautiful piece of art
A beautiful poem
A beautiful song!

All these cheer my soul
Bring me to a place of calm
I can leave my worries behind along with
My to-do list, my obligations, my responsibilities
All these can wait for a few moments as I breathe in
Deeply the fragrance of beauty

The challenges of life are many
And in the end, one of the things that sustains me
Is beauty!
In a world full of trials
Where sadness and sorrow can’t be avoided
Where we are tested each day
Where disappointment is inevitable…
Art and beauty provide a balm
A reason to go on and
To celebrate life and love

Lida Berghuis
August 3rd, 2014

Joy and sorrow!

Aug24

Is this a world of joy or a world of sorrow?
Sorrows for sure!
Because our human condition necessitates it
Without the fire of trials we can’t be purified!

Joy also!
Because too much sorrow would drown us
In its continuous downpour

Joy is a necessity
A respite
A healing balm
An oasis in the desert of life

Sorrows have their purpose though
They will be the bringers of joy
In time, sorrow begets joy, eternal joy!

Lida Berghuis
August 23rd, 2014

The wise guest arrives

Aug24

There is a time when we are ready to ‘hear’ something
Before that, what we are told goes in one ear and out the other

The home has to be prepared and cleaned
Before the guest with the message arrives

Cleaning takes time
Creating order and beauty in the house takes effort and thought

But when the home has been made ready
It attracts the wise guest in no time

Lida Berghuis
August 22nd, 2014

The 100th time…

Aug19

Why do I sometimes not listen to my body
And slow down?
Maybe it’s because I’m too stubborn
Too darn stubborn for my own good!

Maybe it’s because slowing down doesn’t seem fun
And I think I want to be ‘productive’!

Maybe it’s because I don’t realise that
The crash is around the corner!

Maybe it’s because slowing down is hard!

Maybe going fast is addictive
Maybe slowing down seems boring
Maybe I’m impatient
Maybe I have trouble sitting still
Maybe my mind goes into over-drive
Maybe … all of the above!

But maybe I shouldn’t be so hard on myself
Change takes time
And as long as I’m striving, it’s all fine

Maybe I will eventually learn to slow down…
Maybe the hundredth time is the charm!

Lida Berghuis
August 18th, 2014

Road trip

Aug16

The journey of life is not a smooth road trip
Detours seem to sneak up on us everywhere
Bumps appear all along the way
Sometimes all our energy goes into climbing a hill
That does not seem to end
Sometimes we find ourselves careening down a hill
At breakneck speed

Perhaps one of the hardest things in life
Is to find balance
To know when to slow down
When to keep going despite bad weather
And how long to drive before coming to a stop

Finding balance requires getting to know oneself
One’s limits
One’s strengths
One’s gifts

It requires audacity to be different
To stand out
It requires the courage of one’s convictions
When others think we are wrong
It requires wisdom that comes
From facing the challenges of life

Finding balance is a life-long quest
And like many other things in life
It’s about the journey and not the destination

Lida Berghuis
August 11th, 2014
Green Acre