Tag Archive | support

On my mother’s back

Nov12

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I am the baby on my mother’s back

I still sport a baby-do

My mother is a proud African woman

She feels secure and self-assured

She carries me on her back and a bowl on her head

She can do many things at once

She holds her head up 

As if saying, I’ve got this baby

Stay close to me and I will take care of you 

The world can be a scary place sometimes

But It it full of loving people too 

We rely on the goodness of others

We rely on the spirit of our ancestors

And we take one strong step after another 

On this journey called life

It is OK to be scared sometimes

It is OK to feel pain and sorrow

Those things are part of life too

But for now, I’m here for you 

To help you and support you and love you

At the beginning of your journey when you need my strength 

November 10th, 2022

The kitchen sink

Sep12

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How do I feel now that I know my treatment will be longer than expected?
Chemo, another surgery, radiation therapy and reconstruction lie ahead
It’s a long haul
I’ve ticked out all the boxes among the possible treatments
They will throw everything at it
Everything but the kitchen sink
Looking ahead, it’s a little overwhelming
But it will be one treatment at a time
With time to recuperate
I’ll be the model patient
Optimistic and positive
I have the support of my friends and family
Many prayers are being said for me
Nevertheless it takes time to process the news
It’s not what I was expecting
But I know already that life is full of surprises
And each of them can be a teacher
But challenges are challenges
And need to be navigated with care

September 12th, 2022

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

A true friend

Oct4

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A friend is someone I can call on day or night
And she will have time for me

A friend is someone who cheers me on when
Things get tough

A friend is someone whose hug gives me energy
To go on

A friend is essential in life
She’ll be my life boat when the waters get rough
She’ll be my shelter when rain pours down
She won’t make my problems go away
But she makes life bearable until I get back
To my place of calm

She won’t make the hurts of the past disappear
But her understanding heart will take the edge off
Those jagged parts of my life

A friend is someone who encourages me to
Fight my own battles, but is there to support me
As I struggle and fight

A true friend is as precious as the air I breathe
More valuable than riches
The sun in my sky!

Lida Berghuis
October 4th, 2015

Behind the mask…

Dec15

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In our lives
We wear various masks
To appear ‘normal’
To look ‘happy’

So many people wear the mask of ‘normal’
That we feel we will stand out if we don’t
So many of us put on a show
That the show appears to be reality

But so often behind the mask of happy
Hides an injured heart, a despondent soul
Someone looking for love

When one of us takes off the mask of perfection
Admits to having challenges, needing support
It’s easier for someone else to do the same
And if this process happens enough times
We will feel less inclined to hide
Hide our true feelings
Hide our distress
Hide what’s bothering us
Pretend we’re fine!

Lida Berghuis
December 15th, 2014

The climb…

Jul31

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

Melded in the fire of trials!

Jan7

It’s as if a piece of our soul
Gets melded to each other
When we go through the fire of trials

My colleague and I experienced
A few weeks from hell
When we started teaching in a new location
In a new program
With little guidance
And lots to learn

It was sink or swim
And to say the water was rough
Is an understatement

The sheer strength of our will
And our support for each other
The reason we kept going
The reason we got to the other side

For four months we dealt with all manner
Of unexpected things
Ups and downs
Detours and stops

And this experience created a bond
A strong bond
A bond that puts a smile on our faces
When we see each other now

We confide in each other
We worry for the other
We cheer each other
And all this because we went through
The fire of trials!

Lida Berghuis
September 7th, 2014

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Will you love me when I’m sad?

Nov26

We think we are only lovable
When we are happy and all is fine
We think that others want to be around us
Only when we laugh and have fun

But in reality
Our true friends will love us even more
When our days are dark
And our emotions are low

They know we’re in pain
They know we don’t choose to be sad
They won’t abandon us
At times like that

I’ve been there too
Felt like that
Felt like I’m only lovable
When happy and glad

Felt like my tears would turn people away
Felt like my frown would bring them down

But those who loved me
Showed me I was wrong
They stood by me…
They held my hand when my hope was gone
When my days were cloudy and dark

I came to realise that we all have ups and downs
And the downs are what can bring us closer to those we love

We may feel not lovable at those times
We may wonder what’s wrong with us
We may be impatient with ourselves…
But not so our friends

They will love us back to health
They will give us a reason to go on
That’s what true friends are for
For happy times
But more so, for sad times

Lida Berghuis
November 26th, 2013