Category: Sackville’s Memorial park

“Being a dad is my most important job because it not only affects my children, but their children and many generations to come” (Mr. Mark Dominik, General Manager, Tampa Bay Buccaneers).

Dads come in all shapes and sizes. Same for father figures. They all deserve to be acknowledged, honoured, and loved back.

For whatever reasons, some dads are literally absent (not in their kids’ spirits or dreams). Tragically, others may be dismissive even when physically present in their children’s lives. Yet, sadly, other fathers may be trapped in cycles of domestic violence or exponential levels of narcissistic traits.

Of course, life is a rich journey and death is part of it. So dear readers, maybe your own dad (or father figure?) is in heaven. If so, may his memory be eternal. If not, may you cherish each moment together.

As for your own fatherhood journey (if it applies), some of you may be new dads (hello to the most caring Michael “habibi”!). Some are more senior. Others may be grandfathers too (hola Doudou, “Abouna Elias”, etc.!). Yet others may have played fatherhood roles, including foster and host parenthood, in the most rewarding ways (coucou Luigi!).

This being said, Bambi sends her heart to readers who may have lost a child and to those who experienced a heart-aching grief at any time point of the continuum losses of pregnancy. Same for those who are facing biological or adoptive delays as well as those who do not want to become fathers. To all you, best wishes. Some of you may be uncles (i.e., kinship or not) to beloved kids, without being official dads. Others are uplifting guys to whom younger ones look up to. Some of you may be good spiritual figures. Others may have a big heart and a persistent will to love. Please keep being who you are, our world needs much love.

To all the world’s dads, ESPECIALLY to her most inspiring adorable dad, Antoine [or Antonio :)]: Happy forthcoming Fathers’ Day! Sunday is Canada’s Father’s Day. In Lebanon, this day falls on June 21st, 2025 (thanks again, dear Jessy, for your kind wishes).

Of note, Bambi is blessed to still be in Beirut on Canadian Fathers’ Day. Yes, there is Middle Eastern drama now: yesterday night, it felt surreal to be watching, with her own eyes, missiles flying over Lebanon, on their way from Iran to Israel. All this while sitting next to her dad, in such a nice place, both being surrounded by love. We shared laughter and bites with cherished ones, along with concerns about the escalation and about loved ones trapped abroad (of course, there is also her own planned departure in a couple of days. She just want to peacefully fly out back home on time. Time will tell, if this would be possible then. From the bottom of her heart, she wishes the innocent victims of this Middle Eastern’s current/continuous madness to heal well or… to rest in peace (wherever they are and whomever they are).

The irony of yesterday night’s precious moments of immense joy mixed with war concerns (and sorrow for a recently deceased great dad-friend) reminded Bambi of the the mixed joy and deep grief, along with jet-lag, at her nephew’s most beautiful wedding. At that time her mom’s soul departed to heaven. Antoine, her/their hero of dad/grandfather protected his grandson Michael, daughter, et al. with his legendary stoic attitude, which allowed the celebrations to go on.

At the end of the day, this is is life. It is simple and at times complex, along with its reassuring process of always moving forward, no matter what. It is thus up to us to create the present moment or to capture daily opportunities to love and be mutually loved. Yes, life is truly short, especially in the Middle East. As Bambi’s mom used to say, “what can we do? We do not choose our birth country. It chooses us” (in line with the concept of “radical acceptance” of reality). This is Lebanon in the here and now. This is its neighbourhood in the here and now. If things escalate further or longer, let’s patiently wait for the storm to pass, just like Atlantic Canadians deal with their natural winter storms. May the future be brighter than the current darkness. May the children of the children of all the dads, especially those residing in Lebanon/the Middle East, live a dignified, peaceful life filled with LOVE, the most precious ingredient.

Saint Anthony of Padua was born in Lisbon, Portugal, on June 13, 1231 (https://shorturl.at/Jy3N0). When he was 15 years old, he entered the order of St. Augustine where he studied Augustinian theology for 11 years. Later, he got immersed in Franciscan teaching (https://shorturl.at/McExL).

Notoriously known as “the patron saint of lost objects” (https://shorturl.at/McExL), Saint Anthony helps people find lost objects. You just have to connect with him, and ask him for help, just like you do with a trustworthy friend. At least that was the advice of Bambi’s mother to her children since their childhood.

Maybe, like Bambi, you have wondered why a religious man is specialized in finding lost objects? Well, Saint Anthony of Padua had a valuable book of psalms where he made annotations in the margins. He used this book to teach theology (https://shorturl.at/McExL). A new trainee was suspected of stealing his book on his way out of the Franciscan monastery. Saint Anthony prayed for the return of his highly cherished item. He was relieved when, shortly after, this individual returned the book and even sought his forgiveness (https://shorturl.at/McExL). What a lovely end of the story, isn’t it?

This being said, why is Saint Anthony keen to support us when he does not know us or even know what our lost object means to us? Maybe this cherished item is a gift from a loved one? Maybe it has an emotional value, worth billions of dollars to us? Who knows? maybe it is made of gold, the mot precious of metals? Mind you, a lost object can be a toy or any little thing we play with, even if it not practically needed or cherished. When we are upset or sad because of a lost object,

Regardless, when we are frustrated after loosing an item, Saint Anthony is “our” guy or the man of the situation. We do not have to be Christian, not even Catholic, to benefit from his sweet services :). Of course, in addition to reaching out to him, we must keep physically looking for our lost object (yes an action is required, even with prayer). Ideally, the latter would be done while trying to use our memory to reconstruct the last steps prior to where we suspect we had this object last.

When it comes to the Middle East, since the past decades and especially now, the residents of this beautiful yet highly volatile region have lost their basic needs, namely their sense of dignity, safety, and hope for brighter days. Why don’t their leaders dare to envision peace? For a change, how about wisely working for conflict resolution (not just an application of temporary patches)? Wouldn’t this be more productive than the endless and senseless violence? Like people residing in other parts of the world, don’t Middle-Eastern people deserve to benefit from peaceful co-existence among nations and from enriching exchanges (i.e., economically, scientifically, medically, culturally, and humanly)?

Thus, to conclude this post and if she may, Bambi urges Saint Anthony of Padua to inspire the Middle East to find or create HOPE for a path of dignity, safety, humanity, peace, and of love among individuals from its various nations and tribes.

“Life is beautiful
when love flows through us like a silent river,
softly shaping the shores of our days.
It is beautiful when hearts open,
when we dare to embrace another’s soul,
when we become both the giver and the gift.

Life is beautiful
when we grow—
not in haste, nor in fear—
but like trees reaching patiently toward the sun,
accepting each season,
each fall, each bloom,
as a sacred step in the unfolding.

Life is beautiful
when we find meaning,
not as something waiting at the end of the road,
but as seeds hidden in the cracks of today,
in the smallest acts,
in silent courage,
in quiet kindness.

Life is beautiful
when we are present—
when we touch the fabric of this moment
with our bare hands,
when we drink from the cup of now
as if it were the first sip of life.

And life is most beautiful
when we tremble in awe,
when words dissolve before the vastness,
when we kneel before the mystery that holds us—
in the stars,
in the birth of a child,
in the silence between heartbeats.

It is not answers we seek,
but the sacred wonder that keeps us alive,
the breathless recognition:
To be here.
To love.
To grow.
To mean.
To behold.

This—this is the beauty”.

—

Creating beauty and meaning: The inspiring world of Chawki Hitti [Créer de la beauté et du sens: L’univers inspirant de Chawki Hitti]

What makes life beautiful?

Today has been declared by God knows whom “Making Life Beautiful Day” (https://shorturl.at/ZhgSe). Regardless of the stated meaning of this day, Bambi hopes that life has been good to you lately.

Who knows? Maybe you are happier now because someone made you smile, feel supported, or valued. Maybe you had a lovely day with your loved ones? Or maybe you took the time to appreciate nature’s beauty?

She does know about your own “Making Life Beautiful Day“, but today Bambi met a certain Rana randomly. The latter is a very sweet, competent, and generous Lebanese lady. Indeed, just because Rana appreciates Bambi’s sister, she insisted on offering her a free-of-charge session of professional nail polish application. As Bambi likes it, she used two colours (i.e., blue and yellow), but with a novel creative combination. Many thanks and bless her.

Beyond this specific story of sweetness, if Lebanon is beautiful, it is precisely because of the KIND faces, voices, and behaviours of its many Ranas as well as Ahmeds, Tonys, Farids, Carlas, etc. Indeed, the people of Lebanon remind Bambi of the kindness of Canadians from the Maritime provinces in addition to their legendary hospitality.

Of course, Lebanon is also beautiful with its high mountains, valleys, villages, beaches, sunrises, and sunsets. In addition to its natural beauty, Lebanon is sadly a place of corruption, illegal weapons, crimes, impunity, and much uncertainty. Yet, its people keep smiling and creating ways to be generous, despite the financial adversity or war cruelty.

Bambi thanks the reader who kindly shared a brief, beautiful interview chat with Mr. Leon Saad. The latter is an American citizen of Lebanese origins. Mr. Saad happens to be of Jewish heritage and, like Bambi, he was born in Beirut. They both share the same love for Lebanon and for humanity.

What does friendship mean to you in this season of your life?

Whom do you (still) call “best friend” and why?

Regardless of this person or the relationship between the two of you, a best friend is simply someone you—or your heart—have selected to be part of your life. In other terms, it is your chosen family.

For a friendship to blossom, there must be key basic ingredients, which could be mixed In infinitely unique ways: affection (or love), respect, honesty, faithfulness, transparency, empathy/support, and trust. A genuine, healthy friendship requires mutuality. As needed, it might also require a will to forgive and/or seek forgiveness.

However, forgiveness requires the ability to acknowledge when we make mistakes or hurt our friend. Like any other relationship, friendships require work; neither emotional laziness, nor toxic pride (arrogance). This means the following: direct communication, compromises as needed, and a mutual will to nurture the friendship in order to keep growing together.

Bearing the above thoughts in mind, and adding your own insights, are you being a good best friend to your so-called “best friend”? How can you celebrate this friendship; not only today (https://shorturl.at/YQnQx), but in persistent and truly mutual ways?

Ms. Andrée Maillet is a Québec novelist, poet, essayist, and journalist. She began writing at age eleven. She became a correspondent in the United States and in Europe. Her career in journalism lasted from 1943 to 1952 (https://tinyurl.com/r767w2h4).

Ms. Andrée Maillet was married to her great love, Dr. Lloyd Hamlyn Hobden (https://tinyurl.com/3zt2y8p9). Like her, the latter was passionate of the French language. Indeed, he earned a doctorate in French literature from the Sorbonne. Of note, he lived a heroic life. Indeed, when he was a student in Paris at the beginning of World War II, he quickly enlisted to fight Nazism. He did it as an officer of the Canadian Scottish Regiment in France, the Netherlands, and Belgium. He got involved in the Normandy campaign in June 1944, which resulted in him being named “Chevalier of the Legion of Honour” (https://tinyurl.com/3zt2y8p9).

To come back to the great Ms. Maillet, in 1974, she was named to the Académie des lettres du Québec. In 1978, she was named an officer in the Order of Canada. Twelve years later, she received the Athanase-David Award (https://tinyurl.com/r767w2h4).

May Ms. Andrée Maillet’s memory and the memory of her spouse be eternal. This being said, now is the time to leave you, dear readers, with some of this Canadian’s deep insights. The original French follows the bold translated English. Of course, Bambi would be totally ungrateful if she does not acknowledge the prompt assistance of Mr. Google Translate, her loyal online friend.

—

“War is not really a game between men. It is first and foremost a game of events, thoughts, peoples, interests, and feelings, and it is the game of Freedom, Faith, Peace, and familiar abstractions.

 La guerre n’est pas vraiment un jeu d’hommes. C’est d’abord un jeu d’événements, de pensées, de peuples, d’intérêts, de sentiments, et c’est le jeu de la Liberté, de la Foi, de la Paix, des abstractions familières.

Memory is one of the most bizarre faculties of our intelligence. We really can’t trust it.

La mémoire est l’une des facultés les plus bizarres de notre intelligence. On ne peut vraiment pas s’y fier.

We never escape reality as long as we are lucid.

Jamais on n’échappe à la réalité tant qu’on est lucide.

Before you can make someone happy, you have to be someone yourself.

Avant de pouvoir faire le bonheur de quelqu’un, il faut être quelqu’un soi-même.

Isn’t each of us the vigilant guardian of our own sadness?

Chacun de nous n’est-il pas le gardien vigilant de sa propre tristesse?

La langue c’est notre vraie race, notre vraie patrie.

Language is our true race, our true homeland.

The harm that hurts us isn’t the harm that happens to us, but the harm we do to others.

 Le mal qui nous fait mal, n’est pas le mal qui nous arrive mais le mal qu’on fait aux autres.

Life has only one meaning: a line that runs from birth to death. The rest is just embroidery.

La vie n’a qu’un sens : une ligne qui va de la naissance à la mort. Le reste n’est que broderie.

You have to learn to walk alone in life.

Il faut apprendre à marcher seul dans l’existence.

Some beings are like quicksand; do not enter into their intimacy for fear of being swallowed up.

Certains êtres sont comme des sables mouvants; n’entrez pas dans leur intimité de peur d’être engloutis.

Can one survive passion? What a question! We should ask ourselves if we can self-destruct without it.

Peut-on survivre à la passion? Quelle question! Il faut se demander si on peut s’achever soi-même sans elle.”

Bambi remains fascinated by how Will, her dear friend and fellow Sackville citizen, kindly warned her about the threats of the latest imminent attacks on Beirut from out of Canada before she heard about the warnings herself (still visiting her family in Beirut). Thanks to him for his digital quickness, online savviness, and for his concern.

This being said, it was deeply heart-breaking for her to watch the night of horror on TV and witness, once again, the suffering of people. She also smelled what seemed like a fire (roughly a 10-minute-drive away) while chatting with her sister who was hearing the scary sounds (roughly a 5-minute-drive away). She remained glued in front of the TV, watching scared people fleeing on foot or in motor vehicles before the air raids. At all times, such a hopeless scene is tragic to watch. It is even more so on the eve of a “Eid” [Feast] where people are supposed to be celebrating, not running for their lives and losing loved ones or their apartments. May the Adha Eid’s blessings and joys, on pause yesterday night, resume in people’s surviving homes and aching hearts.

Of note, Bambi still does not know if there were any casualties. She could not find any stats on injuries or deaths in the online Lebanese media this morning. Did the attacked buildings truly include drone factories, as pretended by the attacker? And if so, was it fair or wise to destroy them in this manner? And again if so, is it fair and wise to produce them among the innocents? And if not, why the lies and the cruelty?

All these questions and Bambi does not understand the complex games of wars, military or political, among the word’s big nations. It is neither her expertise, nor her interest. She only knows that she loves her birth country, especially its charming capital, with ALL its people. Indeed, she prays for the safety and dignity of all the innocent people caught in the middle of fire and of collective insanity. Of course, beyond the borders of tiny Lebanon, she also prays for the safety of all the innocent people everywhere, and whomever they are, without any exception. Enough of wars, fear, hatred, and retaliations. How to break the endless cycles of violence in the Middle East? What about finally working for peace and thus for the will of life and even the will of love?

Also known as the “Feast [or “Eid”] of Sacrifice”, Eid al Adha is all about the love of God. Indeed, it commemorates Abraham’s story of willingness to sacrifice his own son, just for the sake of his loyalty to and love of God. However, at the very last moment, a sheep miraculously replaced the son. Yes, God did not want Abraham to offer his son. Hence the replacement of young child with the animal.

Of note, Eid el Adha is a shared feast between Muslims and Druze around the world.

What is Islam, to begin with? “It is a major world religion, founded by Muhammad in Arabia in the early 7th century ce… Islam is a strictly monotheistic religion, and its adherents, are called Muslims” (https://tinyurl.com/3k7dpu3u).

Muslims consider “the Prophet Muhammad as the last and most perfect of God’s messengers, who include Adam, Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and others” (https://tinyurl.com/3k7dpu3u).

What about the Druze? They are “a prominent religious community of more than a million people” (https://tinyurl.com/3u7dmxk5). Interestingly, they are spread mainly across Syria, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Jordan, and China.

“The Druze emerged in Egypt in the early 11th century as a branch of the Ismaili sect of Shiite Islam. They are monotheistic and call themselves “muwahhidun”, or unitarians”. “Highly secretive”, the Druze faith “includes mystical elements like reincarnation” (https://tinyurl.com/3u7dmxk5).

During this time of joyful celebrations, it is common for people celebrating Adha to sacrifice a sheep, sharing it among family members and friends while “distributing some meat to poor people” (https://tinyurl.com/4x56stw9).

Happy Eid el Adha! May it be both blessed and fun for all those celebrating it!

“Leo, The 3 Keys” is a great book to read. Indeed, Mr. David Schields’ book is about a boy called Leo, the son of bakers who one afternoon began questioning the career path all traced before him. He wondered if “this is what all life has in store for him… forever destined to be the son of a baker“. Does this mean that he won’t ever experience adventures similar to those he reads about in his books? Despite being raised in a beautiful village, he never felt he truly belonged anywhere in it.

All the above was true… up until he discovered a mysterious garden, which is described in this outstanding book. The latter is not just a journey in a charming garden. Cleverly, it is also about someone finding himself through this external mysterious journey.

The author’s writing style is simple and clear, yet rich. Indeed, Mr. Shields’ clarity and beauty of the language are striking, so is the depth of his expression. Indeed, his writing style is filled with nuances and enriching subtleties. His book is written in a language accessible for kids while being captivating for the inner child within adults.

The imagination of the the writer, Mr. Dave Schields, is refreshing. An example of a paragraph Bambi particularly enjoyed can be found in Chapter 5, entitled “The singing stones”: “I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the melody fill my mind. I focused on the rhythm, on the way the stones seemed to hum with energy. Slowly, I began to move again, feeling my way through the maze, stone by stone. Each time I touched the right stone, the melody shifted, the vibrations growing stronger. When I made a mistake, the hum would falter, and I’d have to adjust my path.”

Of note, Mr. Shields’ elegant writing talent is harmoniously matched by his spouse’s most beautiful illustrations. Yes, Ms. Joëlle Shields’ illustrations are a masterpiece. They do an excellent job in announcing the chapters of the book. As examples, you can see a few of them below.

One thing is sure. If Bambi had children, she would have bought them Mr. Schields’ books (he is highly productive). Thankfully, she now knows what gifts to offer to the children of friends and relatives. She trusts that their parents will enjoy reading them as well. Please keep writing, Mr. Dave Schields and keep drawing, Ms. Joëlle Schields. Your professional collaborations are as beautiful as the love that unites you!