Now dear,
I know this won’t make you happy
In the short term
But I have to say no to some things

I know you really want to go skating
And tomorrow is the best day for you
But from my perspective, that won’t work!

I am the one who has to say no
Because I’m the one who knows my limits best
And it’s time I respected them

I can always push myself a bit more
Sleep less
Agree to something reluctantly
To make someone else happy

But the one who will pay the price
Will be me

It’s easier for me to please others
To say yes
But that’s something I can no longer afford
My body and spirit will let me know

So when I think I should say yes
Half-heartedly
I should think about what my motive is

No one else knows my limits
They will ask
And the one who decides needs to be me!

So often I’ve pushed myself too much
So often I have burned out
So often I have not said no
So often I have suffered so

I don’t learn the lessons of life easily
But life has a way of teaching me
We review the same lesson, repeatedly…

So, my dear
This time, it’s no to skating
But I’d be happy to do something else with you
And schedule skating for a different time
A time that will be good for me and you!

Lida Berghuis
January 11th, 2011