Tag Archive | love

Is this peace?

Jun25


The dust has settled

The missiles have been silenced

People are going back to work

But is there peace?

Peace is not the absence of war

Peace is serenity in people’s hearts

Peace is justice in the land 

Peace is love for your fellow man

I pray for the day when won’t need spies

I pray for the day when negotiations will solve the problems that arise

I pray for the day of equality

When demonstrators won’t have to die in the streets

Peace is not the absence of war

Peace is love in our hearts 

June 25, 2025

Sacrifices

May30

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A child is born

And brings much joy

But the mother makes many sacrifices

The sleepless nights

The fatigue and feeling overwhelmed 

Her priority becomes her child

The child grows

And in each stage of growth

There are challenges 

And the mother learns and grows as well 

The teen years are the time the child

Tries to be their own person

And their life starts to separate from that of the mother

Early adulthood are sweet years

The independent child becomes a friend 

A helpmate, a confidant 

And then it’s time for the child to leave 

To start their own journey in life 

And the mother once again must sacrifice 

The bonds she has carefully created over the years

Must stretch somewhat 

The distance between her and her child has to grow 

But the mother’s soul will always be close 

To that of her child

Her thoughts will be with him/her

Her love will go on 

April 30, 2023

Love of my life

Apr11

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In the quiet of the early morning

It’s me, my iPad and my thoughts

It’s raining outside, Vancouver style

It’s good to be with family I don’t see often

It’s good to be taken care of as a guest

I do think about the surgery that’s ahead

But it should be OK

I’ll be brave

I know what to expect this time

A few days of discomfort and pain

But those will pass too

And with them, my time dealing with cancer

I think of my projects to come

So grateful I enjoy writing

So grateful I can share what I write

This is something I need never to retire from

This is the love of my life

April 11th, 2023

Vulnerability

Jan27

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Some people don’t like to share their cancer story
I understand that
It’s a personal matter
And often not easy to talk about
But for me, it has been the cause of
Connecting with old friends
And receiving a lot of support and love
It’s hard to be vulnerable
Less than perfect 
But revealing our vulnerability has many rewards
We get everyone’s love and support
And their prayers for healing
We can connect to others on a deeper level
It’s a win win in my opinion
But it took some years for me to be this open
With my challenges in life
I had to learn to trust
To know that others will only give me their unconditional love
I had to understand the value of community
Of reaching out
And I’m so grateful for all of your love




January 27th, 2023

Love is what life is about

Oct29

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Love is what life is about

The encouraging words of a friend

A thoughtful gift sent in times of illness

A phone call to see how you are

And even though these things happen sometimes

During challenging times

The love one feels 

Makes one feel alive

And cheers one’s soul

Love is what life is about 

October 29th, 2022

21 days

Aug20

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His last time on WhatsApp was

2022-07-30, 4:15 pm Montreal time

21 days have gone by and his fate is not clear yet

His family knows little of what’s going on 

His friends worry for him daily

How will the authorities collect

Evidence of espionage when there is none?

Another arrest!

Was ten years in prison not enough?

And for crimes he did not commit?

For loving humanity?

For serving his community?

I talked to him the day before he was arrested

He was well

He was thankful

He was jovial as usual

We pray for him 

For fortitude and strength

Qualities he has in abundance already

I know he welcomes this sacrifice 

As he did the previous ones

I know he is grateful to stand up 

For what he believes in

I know he is victorious 

Whether in captivity or freedom

August 20th, 2022

For my dear friend, Afif Naimi

Showered with love

Aug9

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As I read the messages of love from my friends
My eyes tear up
So much kindness and care is evident in them

Messages from my classmates around the world
Messages from my friends in Montreal
Messages and calls from my family

Nothing can go wrong with so much love
I believe in the power of prayer and positive thoughts
I believe in their role in healing

If anything, this experience has shown me how much I’m loved
If anything, I can see more clearly the goodness
In everyone’s heart

August 9th, 2022

The day before my operation for breast cancer

Should I be?

Aug7

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Should I be worried?

Somehow I’m not

With the support of my family and friends

I feel strong

I trust my surgeons to do a good job

And I know I will be spoiled with kindness afterward

Challenges are blessings sometimes

I now know better how many people care for me

There are many people I can lean on

Thankful for every one’s love

I know all will be well

All will be fine

August 7th 2022

A few days before breast surgery

Cashmere blanket

Jun15

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It’s like a Cashmere blanket

In purple and orange hues

Soft and luxurious

Silky to the touch

I put it around myself

And feel cocooned in love 

I feel cared for

This is the love from my friends

Who are here to support me through challenging times

The caring words of my friends

Their soothing  and thoughtful messages

Are like fragrant rose petals falling from above

Perfuming the air

They are like a spring breeze on my fevered brow

Like a river of life giving water

Like a fire that warms me up in the dead of night

My friends

My treasures in this world

My friends

We’ll together reach the shore

June 2022

After my diagnosis with early stage breast cancer

The samurai

Jun6
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A samurai

Proud and strong 

On a background of mustard and grey

The sweater I knitted for Albert, oh so many years ago

In those times

I had the patience to follow a knitting guide

Row by row, colour by colour

Sometimes only knitting one row or two

I don’t remember how long it took me

To finish this project

But it probably took months

And when it was ready

Albert wore it gratefully

It now sits in our closet

A relic of the past 

But when I think of all the time and effort

That went into making this gift of love

I feel proud

June 6th, 2022