The French Village Diaries: Advent Day Eleven, in the pink

Sunday, December 11, 2022

Advent Day Eleven, in the pink

Sue's pink rose

Advent Day Eleven

In the Pink or La Vie en Rose

Pink was the favourite colour of our friend Sue who we lost at the end of November, and she especially loved pink roses. At the sewing club she helped to set up, while I was drawn to blue patterned fabrics for my projects, she would always choose the pretty pink florals. Almost two weeks ago, village friends gathered with her family, to pay our respects, as her (pink) urn was placed in the cemetery memorial garden. I had brought down a bright pink planter, filled with pink and white cyclamens, while another friend had a single pink rose from her garden, almost the same colour as a crocheted rose pinned to the lapel on her coat, a birthday gift, handmade by Sue. At the end of the service, I noticed the funeral director pick up the rose and prod it into the planter but thought no more of it until a week later, when we were sadly back in the cemetery, to witness the placing of another urn. I couldn’t believe that Sue’s pink rose was thriving, standing tall and still in full bloom. Almost another week has gone by and as we walked Mini past the cemetery today, I popped in to see Sue’s rose again. The flower might now be beginning to fade but not one petal has yet fallen, despite temperatures dropping below zero this weekend and it having had no water. In fact, it looks happier than the cyclamens. I don’t know about you, but I just love it when inexplicable things like this happen, to connect us in a small way with those we have lost.

In the pink

The French have a lovely phrase, La Vie en rose, immortalised by Edith Piaf in the song that made her famous. Translated to life in pink, or in the pink, it essentially means to see life through rose-tinted glasses, always looking for the positives and finding beauty in everyday things. As this year draws to a close, world politics are still unstable, the cost of living is making things difficult for so many, and like us, lots of families have lost loved ones, I think we could all do with a reminder to look for the beauty in the simple things. Christmas shouldn’t be a time of stress and worry, as we put the pressure on ourselves to fulfil unrealistic expectations. Stop, take a moment, and look for something simple that makes you smile. The weekend frost might have finished off the autumn leaves, but I love this pink confetti it created, that warmed up our cold bike ride this afternoon.