Bambi is grateful for the present moment, today more than ever.
As for you, dear readers, Happy Thanksgiving from the bottom of the heart. Whether your celebrate Canada’s Thanksgiving or not, Bambi thanks you for your time each time you read her blog and for your continuous support. This being said, heartfelt warm regards to Greta (with much positive vibes and love ❤️!) as well as to Aline/Nabil et al. and to Mustapha and Myriam. Thank you ❤️ for your kindness with Bambi and her spouse.
This brief post includes a few pictures and a brief video taken by Bambi yesterday evening (or was it this morning?) during a 24hour-long trip from Atlantic Canada to the Middle East. If you are one of her cousins or childhood friends living in Beirut, you understand now that she is geographically closer to you. This for four more nights only. This trip was a last minute one. She sadly did not have the time to breath to share her travels plans. She sends your her love through this post ❤️.
To come back to the trip again, with its three airplanes, it is always heart-warming for Bambi to see an Air Canada airplane close to the Middle East Airlines (Air Liban), like in Europe. Additionally, upon her arrival to her final destination in the Lebanese capital, it was cool to see, among the passengers, a fan of the “Montreal Canadiens” [Les Canadiens de Montréall”]: ). Long live Canada’s hockey teams, professional and junior ones!
In the spirit of Thanksgiving [minus the turkey : )], and before sharing the pictures and video, this post starts with a handwritten Arabic note of Mr. Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941)’s most inspiring prayers by Bambi when she was a child. Many thanks to Antoine (Bambi’s dad) for having typed this poem for her a few years ago . This copy, which is attached to the wall in her office at home back in Sackville, has inspired her during hardship. MANY thanks now to Roula (Bambi’s thoughtful sister) for giving her the original, which was a childhood gift from Bambi to their late mom ❤️. It is her sweet gesture that partly inspired this post. Despite the many years separating her from her childhood, Bambi still knows Tagore’s poem by heart. Who knows? Maybe she has a good memory? Or she had been a diligent student in elementary school? Regardless, she was surely blessed with amazing teachers :).
Happy Thanksgiving again! Bonne Action de grâce!
Tagore’s prayer in English.
Tagore’s original poem in Bengali, an Eastern Indo-Aryan language.
A picture taken by Roula and shared with Bambi in the past 24 hours. This note’s language is Classical, or Standard, Arabic.
Forty-seven years ago, like today, Mr. Jacques Brel took his last breath (https://tinyurl.com/8v9ptm6e). Thanks to the Orchestre symphonique de Québec, we learn that Brussels-born Brel was a remarkable pilot who adored the Québécois French language (https://tinyurl.com/ytntkw2m).
As a brief musical tribute, this post shares three of Mr. Brel’s superb songs, which are performed below by himself and by two of Québec’s most beautiful voices, Ms. Isabelle Boulay and Ms. Marie-Élaine Thibert.
Thanks to Mr. Jacques Brel for having existed. May his memory be eternal.
NO to massacres, kidnapping, rape, and disrespect of deceased innocent people, including the Israelis. May everyone’s memory be eternal. May those still kidnapped return safely to their loved ones.
NO to forces that hijack beautiful religions or use an unsolved conflict to justify barbarity.
Just before sleep soon, Bambi came across this YouTube magnificent performance by Mr. Vladimir Korneev! Roula F. from Montreal, this is for you with much love :).
Bambi is crazy busy working today. She just took the time to read the news quickly now during a fast break.
Thanks to the Lebanese L’Orient Le Jour, she learned that Amsterdam streets were filled with a huge demonstration calling for support for the Palestinians (https://tinyurl.com/227ync7f). At the same time, she read that “thousands protested in Paris for the release of Hamas hostages” (https://tinyurl.com/3juyk4pz). Bravo for both demonstrations showing humanity and support for the innocent victims of this endless world’s conflict.
However, it is Bambi’s dream to one day see people walking together, asking for peace and justice for all the victims combined: the traumatized Gazans (Palestinians), suffering beyond imagination, and the traumatized hostages and their families who have been suffering, beyond imagination, since the 7th of October 2023, along with the still speechless innocent Israeli population. Why should one call for justice in one demonstration exclude, and at times be hostile, to the other call for justice in the other demonstration? Why can’t people walk hand in hand, putting pressure on everyone involved in this tragic human fiasco, asking them all to STOP the violence?
No to senseless terror and absurd wars. Yes for reason, kindness, peace, healing, and forgiveness. So one day love can triumph not just on the ground in the Middle East, but also in our hearts and behaviour, wherever we are and whomever we are. May “all the children of all the countries“, just like in the beautiful song of Mr. Enrico Macias (performed below in French and Arabic by Lebanese kids), be allowed to play and grow up in safety, harmony, affection, and peace.
Bambi met her childhood friend Joëlle on the 4th of October 1975, precisely 50 years ago (6 months following the start of the Lebanese civil war) . They were both 3 years old (ie., Bambi three months older!). It was their very first day of school in Beirut. Of note, at that time, Joëlle had a cast around her broken leg. Bambi was fascinated by the white stuff around her new friend’s limb. Perhaps other kids also were impressed by Joëlle’s cast because a few days later the teacher allowed them to draw something on it. Wow.
Beyond any cast and the little chat of two three-old girls about it or about the injury, Joëlle and Bambi literally grew up together. Year after year, they deepened the bond of their long and enriching friendship in both Lebanon and Cyprus (where Joëlle lived for a while and Bambi escaped war there from time to time). They both keep fond memories from this charming island and from their beloved birth country while being a proud American (Joëlle) and Canadian (Bambi) respectively.
Bearing this beautiful story above in mind, and with much love 💚, Bambi wishes Joëlle [or Jojo :)!] a wonderful birthday and a lovely weekend. May her forthcoming year be merry and fulfilling. Long live their lifetime sisterhood and may God keep blessing it!
Is there anything more beautiful to the ears than Mr. Nicola Ciccone’s voice?
The first English song does not need introductions and Bambi loves Mr. Ciccone’s version.
The second song by Mr. Ciccone is a recent one with meaningful English lyrics.
The third Italian song celebrates the piece of Italy in Québec, Canada. Bambi offers it to all her Italian-Canadian friends and readers of this blog, especially to Mirella from Montreal.
As for the last French song, with much love, it is dedicated to all of you, dear readers, especially Bambi’s beloved family in Beirut. Yes, life is beautiful. May we all enjoy the little simple things and remember to remain grateful. May we make the best out of all our days or seasons of life, both light and tougher ones.
Director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Project, Dr. Fred Luskin is an international expert of forgiveness, namely of self and of others. Bambi is inspired by his research and practice. Indeed, she is currently reading his uplifting book, “Forgive for Good” (https://tinyurl.com/ye9t9dvr) that she highly recommends, if you are interested.
How does Dr. Luskin define forgiveness? For him, it is the “peace and understanding that come from blaming that which has hurt you less, taking the life experience less personally, and changing your grievance story” (https://tinyurl.com/59t889bu). In other terms, as per Dr. Luskin, “forgiving is making peace when you didn’t get what you want… t’s making peace with the fact that you were disappointed or hurt or abandoned, or whatever it is – it’s returning to equilibrium” (https://tinyurl.com/44zwns92).
In the enriching four-year-old interview he gave to “Mediation Online” reported above and in the following paragraphs (https://tinyurl.com/44zwns92), Dr. Luskin was invited to reflect on the meaning of Yom Kippur, which is the day devoted to atonement in Judaism.
For those who do not know it, this day is all about asking for forgiveness for the sins against G-D (= God) and from people that have been wronged. This day of fasting and prayers is generally spent in a place of worship called synagogue. Here are Dr. Luskin’ ‘s positive words: “I think Yom Kippur is a very powerful holiday and the most important part about it is that it normalizes the fact we harm others and ourselves. If you honestly look at your own behavior and see where you have missed the mark, and you try in any way you can to make amends to G-d or to people, you become a better person. You become more humble, more sincere and if you really do it you become less defensive. It can be presented as a practice of great mental health. Normalizing it is really important. This is good human practice, and if you actually do it, your relationships will benefit (https://tinyurl.com/44zwns92).
To another question on the difference with the way Catholics approach the reception of forgiveness, Dr. Luskin expressed the following thoughts: “Yom Kippur is different to the Catholics who might go to their priest once a month for a few minutes. On Yom Kippur, you are not eating for 25 hours, not doing any of the things that you would normally do which distract you – that’s a pretty deep dive. It’s a ritual yes, and you could say that 364 days I am an idiot but if you really, really look at your behavior and probably start with the people you love – you will have sincere regret and sincere desire to do better. So it may be once a year, but if you grow up in that tradition, and you have started doing that since the age of 12 or 13, and you are 40 years of age, that is a powerful practice, if you actually do it. I also don’t believe that the Jewish tradition is that you observe Yom Kippur once a year and that gives you a license to behave any way that you want all the other days. It does not. It is a very pro social phase, but that one day, looking at yourself honestly in the eye, is not like going to a priest and having them absolve you. This is you looking yourself in the eye and if over the years you get more honest with yourself, then the process gets deeper, so I think it a wonderful process” (https://tinyurl.com/44zwns92).
How well explained. How elegantly phrased. How inspiring. Of course, many other religions, philosophies, and cultures also encourage forgiveness. Of note, one of the most powerful examples related to forgiveness, if we chose this healing journey, which is an act of self-love and personal freedom (from hurt or long grievances), came from the most famous Jewish man of all times (i.e., the Messiah or God for Christians). Indeed, Jesus is known to have said while on the cross: “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”.
Another teaching moment about forgiveness is when Mr. Gibran Tueni, a late veteran Lebanese journalist, editor, and diplomat called to “bury hate and revenge” at the funeral of his cowardly assassinated son (i.e., Gibran Tueni, also a journalist and a free thinker).
Regardless of our motivations to want to forgive or not to forgive, Dr. Luskin mentions two key ingredients: (1) empathy (i.e. less narcissism and no self-centeredness) and gratitude (i.e., the capacity to “balance the painful things in life with the good things in life“) (https://tinyurl.com/44zwns92). If there is one sentence that resonates with Bambi from Dr. Luskin’s book (p. 69), it is the following one: “Forgiveness is even though you are wounded you chose to hurt and suffer less“.
To conclude this post, for the readers who will be highlighting Yom Kippur tonight at sunset, “Gemar chatimah tovah” and may your fast be as smooth as possible; of course, if you are not sick and you can or want to fast. Bambi is not into fasting despite her own personalized spirituality. Yes, she loves food too much to fast. She has a good excuse tonight: she is not Jewish : )! However, she feels for you, dear readers who are fasting. All the best and enjoy your own journey, each one of you, especially the fruitful self-reflection, and any commitment to becoming a better version of yourselves. May you be filled with increased humanity, respect, and love toward both yourselves and others.
Bambi remains thankful to her Montreal-based friend Greta who kindly introduced her to “Oumen”, a brief song-prayer by Fairuz, in a comment on this blog two years ago.
The great Fairuz remains on Bambi’s mind since she lost her son, artist Ziad Rahbani, honoured on this blog on July 26, 2025. May the spirit of faith, hope for the best, and aspirations for love and healing, expressed in her beautiful song, comforts her aching heart one day at time.
As for the much talented Ms. Danie Abou Assy, a Lebanon-based soprano and vocalist, Bambi is delighted to come across her music on YouTube. Both her powerful voice and the heart-warming lyrics are precisely what Bambi needed to listen to this evening (an English translation can be found here if you are interested: https://tinyurl.com/3vy6fcnm).
To conclude this brief musical post, and if she may, she will now dedicate this song to her inspiring dad in Beirut ❤️. Lots of continuous courage, positive vibes, smooth healing wishes, and MUCH love to him (et al.). May the God he believes in, deep in his heart, keep watching over him at all times… and especially tomorrow.
They now decided to take their love to another level of commitment for life.
OK, Bambi is a bit biased here since Karen is her niece and George is already family.
Yes George is like another nephew to Bambi and her spouse. However, despite this bias, she can assure you dear readers, that they are an awesome couple. She loves them beyond words and blog posts ❤️❤️!
Bearing the above in mind, thanks to Rania, Bambi’s sister (i.e. Karen’s mother and George’s mother-in-law!) for her talent and beautiful words, as you can see below.
Blessings and best wishes to Karen/George! YES, “Mabrouk” to them and indirectly to all their family members and loved ones in Lebanon, Dubai, USA, Canada, and elsewhere around the world. Of course, this includes Ivy, the CUTEST dog in the Levant. OK, that was another little bias :), even if she is truly awesome as well.
Long live Karen and George’s genuine and deep love!!
This video was saved from Rania Azar Berbery’s Instagram account. Rania wrote the following message: “She said yes… in the most romantic place, at sunset by the sea in Nafplio, Greece. A beautiful moment we witnessed—one we will never forget 💍✨”
