image

My wish for you

157 years ago, Victor Hugo completed his magnum opus, The Miserables.
The author died in Paris on 22 May 1885, at the age of 83, in full possession of his faculties. His ideas, both moral and political, and his extraordinary work made him a symbol of his time. The Third Republic honoured him with a state funeral, held on 1 June, attended by more than two million people to say their last farewell to his remains in the Panthéon in Paris.

This poem, eternal in its meaning, continues to resonate every time it is read. I want to share it with you, updated in small details, so that you can make it your own. Enjoy it and tell me what you think; I will read your comments carefully.

"I WANT YOU"

I wish you, first, to love,
and that, by loving, you may also be loved.
May you choose to believe that those you love also love you.
And if not, may you have the wisdom to forget quickly.
and in doing so, hold no grudges.
I hope that even if this is not your experience,
know how to live without despairing.

I also wish you to have friends,
Even if they are sometimes imperfect or inconsistent,
but they should be brave and faithful.
And at least one you can trust without reservation.
The love of friends is food in times of hunger
and fresh water when thirst overwhelms us.

Because life is like that,
I also wish you to have enemies.
Not too many, not too few,
just enough to make you question your certainties.
And that among them at least one is just,
so that you don't feel too safe.

I also wish you to be useful,
but not irreplaceable.
That, on difficult days,
When there is nothing left but your own strength,
that utility allows you to stay standing.

I wish you tolerance,
not only towards those who make few mistakes,
but especially towards those
who make a lot of mistakes and are irremediable.
May your example inspire others to be more compassionate.

I wish you, being young,
Don't rush to grow up,
and that, once you are mature, you do not try to rejuvenate at all costs.
And that, in old age, you do not live waiting for death,
because every stage of life has its pleasures and its challenges.
Let them flow.

I wish you, even, a little sadness.
Not all year, just one day.
So that, on that day, you may discover
that everyday laughter is a gift,
the constant, unnecessary laughter,
and authentic, essential laughter.

I wish you to discover, urgently,
that in the world there are oppressed beings, treated unjustly,
and people who need hope.

I wish you to pet a dog,
you feed a bird
and you hear a goldfinch raise its morning song.
This way you will discover the joy of feeling gratitude for the simple things,
the wisdom that springs from the spirit.

I wish you to plant a seed,
Even if it is small,
and that you accompany her as she grows,
to understand how many lives are contained in a tree.

I wish you to generate money with joy,
earned by being useful and doing good.
That, at least once a year,
you look at it and say:
“I achieved this by doing good to others.”
Let's be clear who controls who.

I also wish that none of your affections die,
but if anyone does so,
You can cry without regrets
and suffer without guilt.

Finally, I wish you, being a man,
find a good woman.
And that, being a woman, you find a good man.
May, together, they live love every day,
and when they are exhausted but happy,
find reasons to start over.

If all this happens, I will have nothing left to wish for you.
Happy life, here and now.
The year doesn't need to get better, you do.

Thank you for reading. I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at my retreats this year.

Dr. Roch