Today is a day of bittersweet anniversaries of transitions.
A transition of love through a celebration of an unforgettable, beautiful wedding. Hello to Michael/Stéphanie and their ADORABLE baby. Happy second wedding anniversary!
A deeply sad yet existential transition from life to death… to eternal life. A continuous presence, stronger than life, but in an invisible way. Hi to Mama in heaven 💜.
Another life-death transition is also remembered with great respect. May the memory of Rony’s mom be eternal as well.
Thankfully, today happens to also be a joyful day of a chronological transition. Happy birthday Nayla, enjoy!
All these transitions of life and death have a simple yet powerful name called LOVE. Indeed, is there anything more uplifting in life than the love of family and/or friends?
MUCH love to Bambi’s dad (hero of love 💚!) and to her sisters et al. across the miles.
May mom keep watching over all her loved ones, especially dad. May we all keep transitioning through life with inner peace, a sense of trust, love, and hope.
For readers who may not be familiar with Canadian political figures, Mr. Jack Layton is described in the The Canadian Encyclopedia as follows: “John Gilbert “Jack” Layton, educator, municipal and federal politician, New Democratic Party leader (born at Montréal, 18 Jul 1950; died at Toronto 22 Aug 2011). Jack Layton, leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 2003-2011, headed the first NDP party to sit as Canada’s Official Opposition in the House of Commons” (https://tinyurl.com/bdh7htsr).
In a last, and most beautiful, letter to Canadians, the late yet unforgettable Mr. Jack Layton wrote: “My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we’ll change the world” (https://tinyurl.com/4eb9ejb7). Is there anything more uplifting and inspiring than those words, especially coming from a man of integrity and humanity in public service?
Mr. Layton strongly believed that “Canada is a great country, one of the hopes of the world“. We may or may not fully agree with his politics or vision for Canada. However, we cannot not have the utmost respect for him.
Thank you, Mr. Layton for your beliefs and principles. Canada, with the entire world, needs principled leaders like you. We call them statespersons and they can/do exist within any political party. Right and left. Centre. Maybe independent. All the latter become secondary when what matters the most is put first, namely the best interests of one’s beloved country.
Bambi just took a work break to read the international news, specifically from her birth country. She learned from L’Orient Today that a religious man, close to Hezbollah, said the following: “Hezbollah’s weapons are God’s weapons” (https://tinyurl.com/bdddpfcb). Wow, quite a statement, isn’t it?
To begin with, this statement was said in the context of a new—and overdue era in Lebanon, namely its disarmament plan from now until the end of the 2025 year. It seems that it was a sort of a public communication between two different religious men (https://tinyurl.com/bdddpfcb), one supporting the government’s move and the other resisting it.
Let’s recall that Hezbollah is military very weakened following its war with Israel since October 8, 2023 (when it dragged Lebanon into not just war, but also re-occupation). Yet, as a stubborn Islamist group, Hezbollah—”Party of God” in Arabic—wants to keep fighting (Israel) until the end of time. This despite its much restricted access to new weapons via the Mediterranean sea or the land, namely through the border with Syria.
If you are not familiar with the context of the Middle East, Bambi will share that religions are too important there (sadly). This even if some people do not believe in God and most, regardless of their beliefs, want a truly secular state system.
So if we happen to not believe in God, how can we swallow the Mufti’s statement that Hezbollah’s weapons are God’s weapons? And even if we believe in God, why would the latter need to have weapons? Isn’t the power of his beautiful, unconditional love enough?
It is hard to know if we should smile, laugh, or cry to such absurdity or cognitive distortion. Bambi is saying so even if she fully understands Hezbollah’s “resistance” to give its arms to the Lebanese authorities. By doing so, this militia would lose the remainder of its military superpower.
How can Bambi miss the opportunity to send a grateful blink to heaven today?
As highlighted in her post of May 24, 2025 (shared below), the heart of Mr. Joe Dassin—the inspiring French-American singer-songwriter/guitarist—stopped beating forty-five years ago. This sad day was August 20, 1980.
Merci/Thank you Mr. Dassin for having existed. May your memory be as eternal as your beautiful songs, which clearly outlived you.
Maybe you do not care, but today happens to be the National Soft Ice Cream Day.
First of all, “as of 2021, there are 20 ice cream days on the calendar including National Frozen Yogurt Day and National Frozen Custard Day. Most of them land in July which is also National Ice Cream Month” (https://tinyurl.com/3rceyfw7).
Second, the song featured in this post seems to be meant to celebrate “bouza” or ice cream in the Arabic language. Bambi admits that the latter sounds a bit silly for adults while being very cute for all, young and old. However, at the end of a long Monday, “silly” melodies are more than welcome. Indeed, she cannot stop listening to this song now, over and over, each time laughing hard. She is eager to share the short YouTube video, with its dancing characters, with her spouse to learn if he will find it amusing or boring.
This being said, and if she may, she offers this song to her dad now because he knows how to appreciate all types of “bouza”. As for you dear readers, may the ice cream melody put a smile on your faces :).
Long live ice cream in all its shapes, especially the delicious soft version!
French psychiatrist/psychoanalyst Paul-Claude Racamier was born on May 20, 1924. He died on August 18, 1996 (https://tinyurl.com/3ts59vvm).
It is Dr. Racamier who came up with the term “pervers narcissique”. One must say “pervers OR perverse narcissique” rather since this personality disorder is not gender-based. In other terms, anyone can be narcissitic. Although his term does not seem to have an equivalent in the English-speaking literature, we can perhaps think that it refers to “extreme narcissism”, that is individuals with a narcissitic personality disorder or highly toxic persons. The latter act like predators and even enjoy making the life of their victims miserable. They are surely not just people with narcissitic traits, which could be anyone of us. They are “extreme narcissists”, let’s remember.
Thankfully, people with a narcissitic personality disorder remain the exception in our societies (1% to 6% of the population). However, they are hard to spot when we encounter them. Indeed, they might be charming or even charismatic. We might be more vulnerable than usual when we meet them. They might be skilled at detecting our flaws or insecurities. They often intensely engage in seduction or idealization. This initial stage, commonly called “love bombing”, can happen within any type of relationship, not only a romantic one.
Of note, it might take victims time to understand with whom they are dealing. This often occurs after they have been under the influence of their predators. Yes, it is extremely painful, and even dangerous, to be the target of such manipulators.
Using Dr. Racamier own words: “The narcissistic pervert movement is an organized way of defending oneself from any internal pain or contradiction, and expelling it to smoulder elsewhere, while at the same time over-valuing oneself. All this at the expense of others and not only without pain but with pleasure… The object of narcissistic perversion is interchangeable: nothing more and nothing less than a puppet. It’s a utensil”.
As well explained by Dr. Racamier in his book entitled “The Genius of Origins”, “there is nothing to be gained from associating with narcissistic perverts; one can only hope to escape unscathed“. Of course, to escape these toxic relationships for good, one must be mentally ready, equipped with clarity about the patterns of communication, or functioning, of these toxic people.
Depending on each unique story, victims must have a safe exit plan (i.e., abuse often increases at the moment of separation) and a reliable support system, which may even include a clinician like a psychologist.
This being said, leaving toxic relationships is very hard. Thankfully, help is available. One must also keep in mind that escape may not be a viable or preferred option for different reasons, including children or financial reasons. Luckily, clarity and learned coping strategies can help protect the victims’ sanity while staying in these relationship. Of course, in cases involving immediate danger of harm, running away is a must.
Ending a toxic relationship is a huge step forward, bravo. However, it is just half of the battle. One must remain disciplined day after day, night after night, to truly leave for good and resist any return back into the relationship whether initiated by the predator or even by the victim. Walking away is a long journey. Like any other grief process, it needs time, patience, discipline, support, self-reflection/therapy, and lots of self-compassion mixed with self-forgiveness.
There are, and there will always be, tragedies in life from power struggles in the world to natural disasters. There will be heartaches after heartbreaks. There will be accidents, illnesses, grief periods, and other challenges—or opportunities—to navigate and grow through. Yet, there is beauty in life. There is love. There is an inspiring human capacity in all of us to heal and thrive, forgive even when we do not forget—of course if we want to or can embrace forgiveness, choose love, and to remain grounded in our dignity and compassion.
Bearing the above in mind, Ms. Zeina Farah is Bambi’s beloved first cousin once removed. This blog devoted several posts to her talent over the past years. Singing is just one of her many talents. Her voice is a gift to us all and she uses it to share/spread love, humanity, peace, and sweet entertaining moments. In the Byzantine prayer piece (Arabic) shared in this post, we can hear Zeina honouring Mary, the mother of Jesus. What a beautiful tribute at all times, especially on the eve of the Feast of the Assumption of Mary or “Im el Nour” [Mother of the Light], as Bambi’s late mom used to call her.
If she may, Bambi will take the opportunity to wish Lebanon a happy day off tomorrow. May the light of healing, reason, safety, sovereignty, unity, peace, love, and prosperity shine on the Land of Cedars.
Of course, Bambi will also use her blog to to wish her beloved childhood friend Fadi a wonderful birthday tomorrow :). May he and his adorable family have fun and be merry!
Last but not least, with much love, Bambi’s heart goes to all her readers, friends, and fellow citizens who will be celebrating the “Quinzou” tomorrow :)!
About ten days ago, on her way to the grocery story, Bambi took the time to re-visit one of her favourite places in Atlantic Canada. It is located between her small town of Sackville in New Brunswick and the town of Amherst in Nova Scotia.
She sat on a large red bench to enjoy the view of the Bay of Fundy, under the warmth of the sunshine mixed with a cool breeze. She took a few pictures and a brief video, which she happily shares with you now, dear readers.
Of note, there is a lot of sad memories in this national historic site with its past “three acts of war between France and Great Britain, the deportation of the Acadians, and the tearing apart of British North America” (https://shorturl.at/JA2TQ). Yet there is much Canadian charm where we instantly connect with both a peaceful nature and our own inner peace.
May the memory of all those who lost their lives on this site be eternal and thanks to Canada for its incredible beauty.
Bambi just learned from l’Orient Today the following piece of news: “Greta Thunberg, activists plan new aid flotilla, with ‘dozens of boats,’ to Gaza” (https://tinyurl.com/2a2ky7cf). First, who is funding this project? Second, may they all be safe because war zones are usually a bad idea for summer vacation, despite our passions or eagerness to make a difference in the world. Third, do they also have funds to help other populations as well?
To begin with, what has been unfolding in Gaza since the start of the latest Hamas-Israel cruel and absurd war is beyond heart-breaking (death, injuries, trauma, continuous kidnapping, hunger, etc.). As usual, it is sadly innocent people who pay the price of the imposed armed conflicts. If there is anyone who knows this reality well, it is Bambi who grew up in the bloody Lebanese civil (1975-1990) war from age 2 years and 9 months to age 17.
Tragically, Sudan has been facing a harsh civil war, along with a related severe famine and displacement of innocent population. Indeed, according to UN data reported by the BBC, over 38% of children under age 5 in camps have suffered from acute malnutrition (https://tinyurl.com/4h76kfvh).
Similarly, innocent populations of other countries not too far from Israel and Palestine, are going through hell as well. Following their long and awful civil war, the innocent Syrians have been experiencing massive execution killing, along with sectarian bloodshed. In Sweida, over 1,000 individuals have been killed recently, according to the Syrian Network for Human Rights. Of note, the latter reported more cruel killing today at a hospital (https://tinyurl.com/3rnrk2nd). Don’t these innocent Syrian people deserve international support as well, including the indignation of Ms. Thunberg et al.?
All the above being said, what can we add about Iran now? At least 975 citizens were executed there in 2024, according to a UN report (https://tinyurl.com/4bvt7dd9). Tragically, the Islamic regime in Iran has been stepping up its repression of the Iranian population following the latest war with Israel, as reported by Le Monde (https://tinyurl.com/bdemejra). Don’t these innocent people—youth, women, and men—deserve our global support as well? They surely deserve our respect for their courage and aspiration for freedom from their awful regime.
To conclude this post, may Ms. Thunberg et al. be safe. May God help the Gazans and may we see peace among nations, starting with the Israelis and the Palestinians and spreading not only across the regional neighbourhood, but also also in the entire world. Most importantly, may we all be filled with inner peace and compassion for all.
It seems that a “32-year-old Jewish man was violently assaulted at a Montreal park in the Villeray–Saint-Michel–Parc-Extension borough in broad daylight on Friday afternoon, in an incident captured on video that shows children present during the attack” (https://tinyurl.com/39fpdacz).
This father was transported to the hospital. The police is investigating.
Regardless of the motivation behind this cruelty, Bambi stands in full solidarity with this man and his children.
This is not Canada. This is not Québec. This not Montreal. ENOUGH of violence against anyone, including our fellow Canadian Jewish citizens. For the record, and according to B’nai Brith’s latest audit (2024), “the total number of reported cases of hatred targeting Jews reached an apex of 6,219 incidents in 2024” (https://tinyurl.com/y2982849).
Do you find the above incident, and statistics, acceptable? If not, what can we collectively do to respect and protect each other? What can you and what can Bambi individually do to remain connected to our humanity while honouring our beautiful Canadian values of civility as well as democracy and responsibility? These values are well explained by Dr. Mark Milke in a recent promotional video about the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy.
