Author: Bambi

The essence of life is love.

Loving oneself and loving others, whether other human beings and/or pets.

But how can we learn to self-love? How can we re-discover it, re-connect and re-invest it, if we have lost track of it after chronic stress, maybe by putting others’ needs before our best interests for too long, maybe by being too harsh with ourselves without forgiveness?

A “loving” relationship with ourselves helps to simplify our connections with others. It make us more human in our own eyes, to begin with, and then in our attitude or behaviours toward others.

When we are connected to our own humanity, we are able to be connected to others’ humanity. We accept people as they are. We love them in secure and balanced ways, just like how we love ourselves. We do it without being too dependent or too avoidant.

When we love ourselves unconditionally, we can do the same with others. We trust and listen to ourselves. We validate our feelings. We value who we are. We establish boundaries, as needed, to protect our dignity. It is called self-respect.

We work on our empathy, if the latter does not come naturally. We respect others in their own dignity. We treat them with humanity. We keep seeing their humanity, even if we are upset or when we disagree with them. We connect to them with fairness and honesty. Exactly like how we connect with ourselves and wish to be treated.

Of note, the language of Molière has a beautiful term for the word “kindness”. It is called “bienveillance“. It is more than kindness. It is sweetness or gentleness. Based on it and on respect, we learn to build trust with others through consistency. We keep working on ourselves to understand our history, wounds, strengths, and vulnerabilities. Based on this knowledge, we become more open to change, It is called psychological flexibility for personal growth. This internal movement starts early and refine until our last breath.

Knowing ourselves makes us stronger, richer, and open toward others and toward love.

Love with a big L. Loving others. Perhaps loving romantically, perhaps not, depending on our life circumstances, seasons or developmental stages, wants, and needs. What matters the most is to love ourselves with kindness (or rather “bienveillance”) continuously, and especially in most difficult times of our life journeys.

Love in all its forms and shapes. Loving ourselves, our families, friends, community members, or strangers even. Loving life. Loving joy and pleasure without excesses, without shortages. Loving our countries, other nations, nature, animals, even insects and mice, if we care for them [OK that one is not for Bambi :)]. Loving and enjoying music, humour, food, and more seriously the principles that matter to us. Loving our entire planet, even the space beyond it. Loving God, if we want to. Loving his absence, or laughing at the idea of his presence, if we prefer.

Bearing all the above in mind, may we all be filled with love ahead of Valentine’s Day. May we enjoy receiving and giving love. May we become love all year long.

Happy Valentine’s to all you, dear readers, with much love ❤️. Thanks for taking the time to visit this blog and enriching it by reading or writing a comment, if you wish.

There are no words… Only deep sorrow (https://tinyurl.com/43xpjze3).

It is getting late in Atlantic Canada, but Bambi refuses to go to sleep without posting Mr. Pierre Bachelet’s song as an expression of solidarity with each family affected by this tragedy. This French grief-related song is old yet its meaning is universal. An English translation of its beautiful lyrics can be found here: https://tinyurl.com/mvwzu84m .

May the injured survive and heal. May the memory of those already in heaven be eternal.

With lots of love to everyone.

Life is more beautiful with genuine friendships and music. So imagine how both beautiful and rich it is when friends are so close that they are like family and talent is not only filled with creativity, but also with a pure heart that invites a “chum” to reach out for support.

Indeed, friendship is the theme of Mr. Francois Lachance’s beautiful French song, which he composed over thirteen years ago. His song means a lot to Bambi. It reminds her of her late mom who used to appreciate it.

Since tomorrow happens to be the National Guitar Day as well as a day called “Make A friend Day” (https://tinyurl.com/mv5djt6k), Bambi offers Mr. Lachance’s song to her friends Yvonne, Bente, and Salome, thanking them for their gesture of love to Louis and her. Their cute and generous surprise made today very special. Much love to each one of them across the ocean ❤️❤️!

Adrien just turned one and Mr. Gerard Lenorman will turn 80 tomorrow (https://tinyurl.com/yn2e4xj4). Happy birthday to both of them across the long miles!

Mr. Lenorman, we are grateful for your existence and talent, including your beautiful French song on Happiness, “La ballade des gens heureux” [The ballad of Happy People]. Bambi dedicates it to her cutest great nephew, wishing him to continue to be happy throughout his entire life.

Thank you Adrian—”farra habibi/habibna”—for being sooooo adorable! You are a ray of sunshine of joy to each one of us, relatives and friends, not only to your loving parents. Bambi and Louis love you, Adrien and family, beyond any songs’ lyrics or blog’s words 💚!

In Québec, Mr. Acher Sabbah, a 61-year-old man was sentenced to house arrest for having sexually assaulted a 13-year-old runaway girl from a youth centre (https://tinyurl.com/kuyhtsy7). Of note, five years ago, as per the Sûreté du Québec—the provincial national police—Mr. Sabbah was “believed to have committed crimes between 2015 and 2019 in the regions of Lachute in the Laurentians, Beauharnois in Montérégie, and Laval on the North Shore of Montreal” (https://tinyurl.com/yefa6n75). From La Presse (https://tinyurl.com/kuyhtsy7), we learn that this same man “was acquitted last month of sexual crimes against a minor by Judge Simon Dolci. He was accused of acts that allegedly occurred in 2006“.

Let’s put this story aside for a few second to focus on another story that took place recently in Halifax. A woman, Ms. Tracey Kitch, former CEO of the IWK, was sentenced to 9 months in jail, and went there handcuffed by the police after her trial, for a financial fraud. The latter consisted of charging personal expenses to her corporate credit card. According to CTV News, “Kitch resigned in 2017 and was charged with fraud over $5,000 in 2018, following an internal investigation by the hospital. An audit found Kitch used her hospital credit card to pay for roughly $47,000 in personal expenses. That money was reimbursed. A conservative estimate of more than $30,000 was the evidence presented at trial, consisting of personal flight passes and taxi chits (https://tinyurl.com/3y242nfw).

While Bambi does not deny that a financial fraud in public service is a bad act, why does the Canadian criminal system punish stealing money from a children’s hospital, but is more forgiving with child sexual abusers? And what about the young victims? Don’t they deserve a victim-centred justice system in a protective society?

What is believed to be one of the largest man-made, non-nuclear explosions in modern history, took place in the Lebanese capital 6.5 years ago. It was on the doomed August 4th 2020, precisely at 6:07 PM.

At the time, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 2750 tons of—unsafely stored—ammonium nitrate exploded at the port of Beirut, killing 220+ victims and injuring 7000+ residents (some of whom were toddlers; others, including parents, are still in the coma). Additionally, as reported in older posts, there were 800 regular floor admissions as well as 130 intensive care unit admissions, 300,000 instant homeless people, 150+ permanent disabilities, over 3/4 of massive destruction, total destruction of four hospitals, and US$15,000,000,000 worth of damage.

Over 6 years later, with tomorrow being the 6.5 year anniversary of this surreal tragedy, has justice been served? NO. Will it be ever served: LIKELY no. Will lessons be learned? History will tell.

Until then, thankfully, there is music to express the sorrow of the people of Beirut and to aspire for healing and hope. Thank you, Mr. Jean-Paul Hakim for your beautiful French song for Beirut.

May corruption, negligence, and arrogance end. May the seeds of accountability and civility finally grow in the land of impunity. It is about time.

On December 30th 2025, the Iranian regime designated our Royal Canadian Navy (https://tinyurl.com/3x4fj2zb) as “a terrorist organization” (https://tinyurl.com/ancburad; https://tinyurl.com/5x8uzw2y). This diplomatic nonsense was a delayed childish-like response to Canada’s 2024’s decision to label the Islamic Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization.

A month later, the Iranian regime is considering all European armies terrorist groups after the European Unions’ IRGC terrorist designation, following the recent and perhaps still ongoing massacre of the Iranian people (https://tinyurl.com/dhtbundw).

Iran’s defiance of Canada, Europe, and surely of the USA—which seems to be putting maximum pressure on its criminal regime—has been followed by more drama today: “Wearing Revolutionary Guard uniforms, Iranian lawmakers chant ‘Death to America! Death to Israel!’” (https://tinyurl.com/mr32avh5).

This slogan that the Iranian regime repeats as a mantra, every now and then, seems to be the ultimate insult to the Iranian people who have been the victims of a CRUEL crackdown against them, most likely “ordered by” Mr. Ali Khamenei “and carried out by his Revolutionary Guards” (https://tinyurl.com/59hfve85).

With this slogan, along with the ridiculous military costume disguise, the regime’s flying monkeys are being used to shift the world’s attention away from the CRUEL crackdown or massacre.

As for us, observers of all this drama unfolding in Iran, we have the hopeless impression that we are back, once again, to the same old hateful slogans—with death wishes—toward both the USA and Israel. Who knows? Maybe such slogans would appeal to some. However, those who are longing for a safer and brighter future in the Middle East, are sick and tired of evil yet empty slogans.

“Will the US strike or not?

The entire region has been holding its breath for weeks now regarding the possibility of an American intervention against Iran. Although the US armada is now deployed off the Iranian coast, no good option seems to be emerging.

Option 1, without resorting to military force and thanks to pressure, the Americans eventually obtain major concessions on nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles and support for regional militias.

This is the ideal option for Washington, but it seems unrealistic given that it touches on fundamental aspects of the Islamic Republic. There may be tactical concessions, but certainly not strategic overhauls.

Option number 2, a major but calibrated military intervention, which would target the Iranian ballistic missile program, members of the Pasdaran, but also members of the Iranian elite, including perhaps the Iranian supreme leader.

However, this option poses two problems: firstly, the possible Iranian response, which this time would not be symbolic, against American troops deployed in the region and against US allies in the region. On the other hand, there was no guarantee that this would be enough to make the regime back down.

Third option, the Americans want a major change in Iran, but this requires a large-scale, long-term operation with very uncertain consequences, and the possibility, once again, of regional escalation.

So, of course, the United States could surprise us, as they did in Venezuela, and have most certainly anticipated all possibilities of Iranian reaction.

Finally, a question that is of particular interest to us here in Beirut: would Hezbollah join a large-scale Iranian response?

Despite threats from the axis and the party, this seems highly unlikely. Hezbollah has little to offer and much to lose, both militarily and politically”.

Bambi’s long day is far from being over, even if it is getting late. However, she does not want to go to bed without highlighting the shoah or holocaust. Good night, or good morning depending on where you are reading this from, dear readers. May love, along with peace, prevail in everyone’s heart. May we all know how to cherish our shared humanity.

Iran, or rather the regime in Iran, is threatening the USA, which has moved a large naval fleet to Middle East in order to threaten the Persian authoritarian country (https://tinyurl.com/mr2xa28e).

The pro-Iranian Yemen-based Houthis and Iraq-based Kataib Hezbollah are threatening new attacks on Israel (https://tinyurl.com/yvrdvd4u; https://tinyurl.com/3dh9znsh).

Mr. Netanyahu is threatening the regime in Iran, stating that any attack on Israel would be “met with a forceful response” (https://tinyurl.com/49wvsahc).

As for Mr. Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of the pro-Iranian Lebanon-based Hezbollah, he is threatening both Israel and USA if Iran is attacked, hinting that he would decide how to act then. He even added all the following, and we are not sure is he is serious or just verbally suicidal: “When (U.S. President Donald) Trump threatens (Iran’s supreme leader) Imam (Ali) Khamenei, he is threatening tens of millions who follow this leader,” Qassem said via video link during a Hezbollah rally in solidarity with Iran... We’re concerned with confronting this threat and we consider it a threat to us and to our religion, and we have all the jurisdiction to do what we see right to confront it… It is our duty to encounter this threat with all the measures and preparations, because harming Imam Khamenei would be an assassination of stability and of the situation in the region and the world, due to the spread of the supporters and advocates of the Wali al-Faqih (Khamenei)” (https://tinyurl.com/2wdmhyks).

All these threats and the innocent Iranian people are still being massacred by their regime while the people of Lebanon are sick and tired of absurdly dying in the name of any foreign entity, namely Iran now. And what to say about the innocent people of Lebanon, Iran, Yemen, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, along with the entire region, don’t they deserve to live without threats of more wars once and for all?