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
She was silenced …
Or was she?
Her words will enchant us for years to come
How can one silence a trumpet blast?
How can one hide the sun?
She had to wear a veil and speak from behind a curtain
But even though her physical beauty was lost to others
Her inner beauty was evident in her precious, gem-like words
She could not travel alone
But travel she did
Far and wide
How can a tornado be bottled?
How can a raging river be stopped?
She had no say in who she would marry
But she did not stay in the confines of the home
With the one she did not choose or love
She was not supposed to lead
A woman’s place was at home, not in mosks and schools
But she broke those rules too
Thousands of men and women were devoted to her and
Hung on her every word
Her courage and strength and her fearless temperament
Were her shield
Her conviction, her guide
At a time when women
Were not supposed to be seen or heard
In a culture that did not value women
She broke the mould and cried out!
Her gifts were other-worldy
Her dreams, her guide
Her heart was set on freeing women from bondage
Her inspiration, the Word of God!
Don’t, can’t and it has not been done
Had no effect on this spiritual giant of our time!
Lida Berghuis
August 22nd, 2014
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
If you can go 70 miles an hour all the time
Please do!
Don’t mind me in the slow lane!
I’ve gotten to know myself
I’m a sprinter
For a while I can enjoy the fast lane
And then I need to take a break
I used to push myself too much a lot of the time
Not listen to the “I’m tired” signals!
Compare myself to others all the time
Crash and burn after a while
And truth be told
Sometimes, I still do!
But I try to pace myself
No, I won’t be everywhere all the time
I need time to reflect as well
I need time to write and process my thoughts
So, it will be the slow lane sometimes
The no-rush lane
The smell-the-roses lane
The relax and play lane
So my mind and body can recuperate
And get ready for the fast lane!
Lida Berghuis
August 9th, 2014
Green Acre
I thought I was done with breaking the rules
Questioning the norms
Walking down the unbeaten path
I thought those times were over
And I had settled down
Mellowed out
But my nature has not changed
I will never be one to conform!
I won’t be the one who draws within the lines
Follows instructions
Lives the ordinary life!
There are consequences to being different, of course
People will talk
Heads will turn
Whispers can be heard
One can’t stand out and not be noticed
One can’t be loud and not attract attention
One can’t be outside the box and in the box at once!
Here I go again
Marching to the beat of my own drum
Challenging traditional thought
Doing what has not been done!
And where would the fun be
In being ordinary
Doing what is expected
Filling the mould
Change comes from daring to be different
Trying something new
And it seems that’s the path I’ve chosen to live
With the consequences that follow!
Lida Berghuis
August 9th, 2014
Green Acre
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
My spontaneity
His planning ability
My fiery nature
His cool water ways
My excitement and laughter
His calm and composure
My ability to get lost
His ability to know the way
His wit and charm
My laughter and delight
His vision of the future
My admiration
His ability to grow and transform
My amazement and wonder
His genuine nature
My happiness
My strengths, his strength
Complement each other
My half, his half
Make a whole
My love, his love
Create magic!
The impossible becomes possible
The closed door opens
My suffering, his suffering
Intertwined
His patience
Like none other I have seen
Blessed to have found
His love
Blessed to serve with him!
Lida Berghuis
August 4th, 2014
Deep under water
Pushed down by the weight of life
A heavy load that does not allow me to emerge
From the watery grave that surrounds me
Should I give in?
Should I fight?
Do I want to live, or die?
Giving up is easy
Not much effort is required
But fighting takes courage, strength and
The will to go on
Surrounded by water
Pressed down by the weight of the world
At the juncture of
Giving up or marching on…
Once again,
I choose to fight
To laugh in the face of trials
I choose to go on…
But why?
Because I’m not one to choose the easy path
Anyone can do that
I accept the challenge
I will fight!
So, I gather all my might
Say a silent prayer
And push up!
And amazingly
The weight lifts
I emerge from water
I can breathe again
I’m alive!
I’m not alive because I fear death
I’m alive because death will come in its own good time
I need not spur it on
In a world full of trials
My mission is to march on
Giving up is not an option
Suffering has its reasons
I’m here for a reason
And to fulfil that
I will stay around…
Lida Berghuis
July 31st, 2014
Inspired by Inception sound track
and a scene in The Signature of All Things
This world is like a mountain we have to climb
Challenges are there
Our strength and perseverance is tested
But each height we reach is breathtaking
What can make this climb more manageable?
The support of friends
Someone to cheer us on
To walk along side us
A shoulder to cry on when things get tough
A friend to lean on when our strength wanes
And sometimes we’re the one who does the cheering up
The one who others can lean on
The strong one, for the moment…
Lida Berghuis
July 26th, 2014
Montreal Youth Conference
Busy times…
Trying to keep my cool
Even when there are a hundred things
On my to-do list
I won’t forget that somewhere on the list
Close to the top
Is taking care of myself
And doing something that recharges my batteries
Brings me joy
Centres me!
Sometimes we think if we run faster
We will get farther
But in reality
To go farther, we need to slow down
This slowing down
Reflecting sometimes
Relaxing and recuperating sometimes
Prevents accidents
Prevents injuries
And in the long run
We will cover a greater distance
More happily!
July 22nd, 2014
lida's musings 