To Honor The Dead We Must Live Life

The French have a saying called joie de vivre which technically means enjoyment of life or exuberant spirit.  Like many French to English translations, it’s true essence is difficult to convey as the phrase is more akin to an emotion or way of living.

It’s not so much about excitement, but the spark of life found in every day things; a dance with a stranger, a shared laugh with a shop clerk, a heartfelt experience during a prayer meeting, a meal with loved ones, a single flower catching the sun’s rays.

Insanitybytes2 touched on this in an awesome video called Life from her post How Then Shall We Live? It really shows the importance of human connection and how it’s the glue that keeps us connected, healthy and joyful.

Our dystopian world of masked faces, fear and isolation can make us forget this, but we must push through this nonsense and show people how to live again and that acting like human beings who smile at each other, hug and dance together is not a danger to society.  In fact the very opposite is true.

The French of course, as they do in most things, have their own way of expressing this, which this recent flash mob at a train station protesting lockdowns beautifully exemplifies  There’s no English subtitles, but your senses will absorb the message.  Personally I was mesmerized and couldn’t stop watching.  Seriously, watch the video.

La peur de la mort n’empêche pas de mourir, mais elle empêche de vivre. – Fear of death does not prevent death, but prevents life.

Nous, en veut à continue danser encore. – We want to continue dancing again.

Voir nos pensées embrasser nos corps.-See our thoughts embrace our bodies.

Nos venons briser, le silence.-We’ve come to break the silence.

Chaque mesure autoritaire, voit s’envoler notre confiance. Every authoritative measure, sees our confidence disappear.

Ils font preuve de tant d’insistance, pour confiner notre conscience!.  They show so much insistence, to confine our consciousness!

Ne soyons pas impressionnable par tous ces gens déraisonnables.-We are not impressed by these unreasonable people.

Vendeurs de peur abondance.-Fear sellers galore.

Et pour notre santé mentale, nos sourires, notre intelligence, ne soyons pas sans resistance– And for our mental health, our smiles, our intelligence, let’s not be without resistance.

Indeed.  Vive la France!

Art, dance, theatre, concerts, celebrations of life, marriage, death and religious holidays these things are what make us human and yet they’ve been all but canceled or drastically minimized for over a year now.  What does that say about what we value?

We must get back to what matters most.  Nous, en veut à continue danser encore.