Joy is Possible

When “some” says it and lives it, there is no doubt

This is a good start for an Easter article or a homily, though I don’t intend neither here. Yes, the resurrection reminds us of the joy. Many people do live it by their lives. And some of those lives are exceptional, that their words have a special weightage. One of such women is Anne-Dauphine Julliand. I had the privilege of reading one of her books in 2021–22, and I happened to see her new book (published today) in the library and the author herself was presenting the book in the evening.

Source : Author with the new book, “Add life to your days”

What is the special about her and her book? What gives her that authenticity. She has (I use “has” as she likes it so) 4 children. The two girls, Thaïs and Azylis passed away in 2007 and 2017 because of a rare incurable sickness. The pain and difficulty of the family is unthinkable. And then in 2022, their eldest son Gaspar committed suicide. She describes it as the darkest (whatever word you can use) day of her life. She is a writer-journalist, and she never thought she would write about this death of her eldest born. But she wrote, and writing was also a means which brought joy back to her life. I am listing a few of her sharings which touched me profoundly.

• ‘We’d like to say a special word to you, his friends: you can be absolutely sure that Gaspard is at peace today. He wanted to live. He…