L\u2019autre midi chez Renaud-Bray, je cherchais le dernier livre d\u2019un de mes auteurs pr\u00e9f\u00e9r\u00e9s (Tahar ben Jelloun) et voici que s\u2019impose \u00e0 moi \u00ab\u2009LES 50\u00a0R\u00c8GLES D\u2019OR DE LA BIENVEILLANCE\u2009\u00bb d\u2019Anne-Laure Boselli. Vous connaissez peut-\u00eatre cette collection de petites briques de 50\u00a0r\u00e8gles d\u2019or pour nous am\u00e9liorer dans tous les domaines. Je raffole de ce genre de conseils! J\u2019ai toujours \u00e9t\u00e9 dure envers moi-m\u00eame. Maintenant que je vieillis, je ramollis. Oui, oui! Dans mes chairs, dans ma t\u00eate et surtout dans mon c\u0153ur.<\/p>\n
Je suis m\u00fbre pour en apprendre davantage sur les bienfaits de la bienveillance et, subito presto, je m\u2019installe sur le divan de la biblioth\u00e8que avec un thermos de caf\u00e9 et du papier pour noter le plus important. Je lis presque d\u2019un trait tout le livre et j\u2019\u00e9cris dans mon calepin une colonne de \u00ab\u2009musts<\/em>\u2009\u00bb susceptibles d\u2019am\u00e9liorer mon comportement.<\/p>\n \u00ab\u2009La bienveillance est une disposition favorable \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9gard d\u2019autrui.\u2009\u00bb Selon dame Boselli, ces musts<\/em> incontournables sont la bont\u00e9, la gentillesse, l\u2019empathie, la compassion, l\u2019altruisme, la confiance, la tol\u00e9rance, l\u2019indulgence et la charit\u00e9.<\/p>\n J\u2019ai commenc\u00e9 en affaires avec le c\u0153ur amoch\u00e9 d\u2019une maman pauvre, mais vaillante, ignorante du m\u00e9tier, mais tr\u00e8s cr\u00e9ative. J\u2019adorais cuisiner et j\u2019aimais surtout \u00e9blouir mes clients avec des d\u00e9jeuners hors du commun.<\/p>\n Sans vraiment nous en apercevoir, les enfants et moi avons cr\u00e9\u00e9 un nouveau concept de restauration qui est vite devenu immens\u00e9ment populaire. Si populaire que nous avons pu nous multiplier \u00e0 profusion. Au neuvi\u00e8me restaurant, qui \u00e9tait aussi notre premi\u00e8re franchise, j\u2019ai d\u00fb \u00e9changer mon grand tablier blanc contre un s\u00e9rieux tailleur de grande patronne.<\/p>\n Je l\u2019avoue humblement, mon c\u0153ur, ma t\u00eate et mon corps de chef d\u2019entreprise se sont vite endurcis. Je ne suis pas devenue m\u00e9chante, mais exigeante et intransigeante. Ayant commenc\u00e9 avec presque rien, je comptais les cennes noires pour boucler nos fins de mois. Et l\u2019habitude m\u2019est rest\u00e9e.<\/p>\n J\u2019\u00e9tais dure, disait ma fille, intraitable et s\u00e9v\u00e8re. Apr\u00e8s chaque inauguration d\u2019un nouveau resto, j\u2019insistais pour que l\u2019on planifie rapidement la prochaine ouverture. J\u2019avan\u00e7ais \u00e0 pas de g\u00e9ant, \u00ab\u2009comme si j\u2019avais le feu aux fesses\u2009\u00bb, disait le plus jeune. Contre vents et mar\u00e9es, une grande cha\u00eene de restaurants franchis\u00e9s a vite vu le jour en sol canadien et j\u2019en \u00e9tais tr\u00e8s fi\u00e8re. D\u2019un oc\u00e9an \u00e0 l\u2019autre, \u00ab\u2009nous avions des Cora dans chaque province\u2009\u00bb, que j\u2019ajoutais en gonflant ma poitrine.<\/p>\n Oui, oui! Je l\u2019avoue, bien souvent j\u2019\u00e9tais bouffie d\u2019orgueil en contemplant ma flamboyante r\u00e9ussite. Je n\u2019essayais pas de me montrer sup\u00e9rieure \u00e0 qui que ce soit. J\u2019\u00e9tais juste devenue la big boss<\/em> d\u2019un cirque m\u00e9diatique pancanadien. J\u2019apprenais \u00e0 dompter les lions, \u00e0 marcher sur des fils de fer, ou \u00e0 \u00eatre, bien souvent, le boulet dans le canon. Dans ma t\u00eate, je devais performer, sans quoi l\u2019immense chapiteau s\u2019effondrerait.<\/p>\n Les enfants et moi avions subi plusieurs tourments depuis l\u2019enfance et je voulais au moins leur assurer une meilleure vie. Lorsque je leur ai c\u00e9d\u00e9 l\u2019Entreprise, je suis lentement redevenue une femme ordinaire; une maman rongeant son frein. J\u2019ai d\u00fb aller aussi loin qu\u2019en lointaine Chine pour r\u00e9ussir \u00e0 couper le cordon d\u2019acier qui m\u2019attachait \u00e0 tout ce que j\u2019avais mis au monde.<\/p>\n Avec un groupe de touristes, nous visitions les 14\u00a0villages de Wuyuan accessibles aux voyageurs \u00e9trangers. On m\u2019avait log\u00e9e pour la nuit dans une chambrette avec un lit simple, un genre de pot de chambre en terre cuite, une table, une chaise et une gourde en m\u00e9tal pour aller chercher l\u2019eau fra\u00eeche d\u2019un puits \u00e0 proximit\u00e9.<\/p>\n Je m\u2019en souviens, comme si c\u2019\u00e9tait hier. Quelques minutes apr\u00e8s mon arriv\u00e9e dans la chambre, une vieille Chinoise attif\u00e9e d\u2019une robe \u00e0 fleurs traditionnelle de couleur carmin m\u2019apporta un plateau de nourriture. Cette femme sans \u00e2ge \u00e9tait d\u2019une gentillesse hors du commun. Elle avait un sourire bienveillant et lorsqu\u2019elle entreprit de dire quelques mots en baragouinant l\u2019anglais, j\u2019ai vite senti sa compassion. C\u2019\u00e9tait comme si elle-m\u00eame ressentait la boule de chagrin qui br\u00fblait mon c\u0153ur.<\/p>\n Je voulais lui expliquer mon d\u00e9sarroi, lui raconter ma vie, et lui dire combien j\u2019\u00e9tais pein\u00e9e d\u2019avoir perdu ma raison de vivre. J\u2019avais cach\u00e9 ma peine \u00e0 mes enfants, aux gens de l\u2019Entreprise et au monde entier. Je me croyais forte et brave et cette charitable Chinoise devina ma peine. Elle m\u2019apparut comme un ange bienveillant. J\u2019\u00e9tais si seule, si loin de mon monde, et j\u2019avais un urgent besoin d\u2019expulser mon chagrin, de couper ce terrible cordon ombilical qui me gardait dans le pass\u00e9.<\/p>\n Lorsque cette \u00e9trang\u00e8re prit ma main dans la sienne et me parla, un miracle se produisit. Ce fut comme si je comprenais et assimilais chacun de ses mots, comme si mon c\u0153ur recommen\u00e7ait \u00e0 battre, que mon corps se lib\u00e9rait de ses entraves et que mon sourire embrassait l\u2019immense Chine tout enti\u00e8re.<\/p>\n Le c\u0153ur de cette femme m\u2019a gu\u00e9rie. Sans conna\u00eetre son nom, son \u00e2ge, sa langue, ses coutumes et son histoire personnelle, j\u2019ai compris qu\u2019elle \u00e9tait la bienveillance m\u00eame, la bont\u00e9, la gentillesse, l\u2019empathie et la compassion.<\/p>\n Je suis peut-\u00eatre un chat poss\u00e9dant plusieurs vies et j\u2019esp\u00e8re gros comme le ciel que ce soit l\u2019\u00e9criture qui puisse m\u2019accompagner jusqu\u2019\u00e0 la fin.<\/p>\n Je n\u2019ai plus d\u2019autres ports d\u2019attache que les c\u0153urs de mes pr\u00e9cieux lecteurs. Ce sont eux qui accueillent mes beaux mots et gu\u00e9rissent mes bobos. Eux qui me gardent vivante et p\u00e9tillante.<\/p>\n Cora L\u2019autre midi chez Renaud-Bray, je cherchais le dernier livre d\u2019un de mes […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":414,"featured_media":25594,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-25593","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lettre-mme-cora"],"acf":{"img_en":"","contenu_en":"The other day at Indigo, I was looking for the latest book by my favourite author, Tahar ben Jelloun, and found another gem instead: Les 50 r\u00e8gles d\u2019or de la bienveillance (The 50 golden rules of kindness)<\/em>, by Anne-Laure Boselli. Perhaps you\u2019ve already heard of this popular series of self-improvement books? I love these types of tips that we can immediately begin practising in our lives! I have always been fairly hard on myself. As I get older, I\u2019m softening. My body, mind and especially my heart have softened!\r\n\r\nI\u2019m eager to learn more about the benefits of kindness, and so I buy the book and lay down on my favourite couch with a thermos of coffee and my notepad to jot down the important bits. I read it almost in one go and I start a column of must-do\u2019s to improve my behaviour.\r\n\r\n\u201cKindness is to approach others with a benevolent disposition.\u201d According to Ms. Boselli, the essential qualities are goodness, kindness, empathy, compassion, altruism, trust, tolerance, indulgence and charity.\r\n\r\nI started in business as a poor mother with a broken heart, but I was plucky, unfamiliar with the work but very creative. I loved to cook, and above all, to dazzle our customers with my amazing breakfasts.\r\n\r\nWithout realizing it, the kids and I created a new breakfast restaurant concept that quickly became wildly popular; so popular in fact, that we were able to open one restaurant after another. When we opened the ninth one, which was also our first franchise, I traded in my white cook\u2019s apron for a big boss tailored suit.\r\n\r\nI admit it, my heart, mind and body had morphed into a CEO and I quickly hardened. I didn\u2019t become mean, but I was demanding and uncompromising. I started in life with barely anything. I used to count every penny to make ends meet. And that habit has stayed with me.\r\n\r\nI was \u201ctough, uncompromising and stern,\u201d my daughter would say. After each new restaurant inauguration, I insisted on immediately planning the next opening. I was moving forward with giant strides, \u201clike my behind was on fire,\u201d my youngest son used to say teasingly. Despite strong currents and countervailing winds, a large chain of franchise restaurants saw the day. I couldn\u2019t have been prouder. From Newfoundland to British Columbia, we had \u201cCora restaurants in every province,\u201d I\u2019d announce, puffing out my chest.\r\n\r\nI admit that on more than one occasion I would swell with pride as I contemplated my dizzying success. It\u2019s not that I thought I was better than anyone else, I simply had become the bigwig of a Canada-wide media circus. I was learning how to tame lions, walk a tightrope and be the ball in the canon. In my mind, I had to put on a great show; otherwise the huge tent would collapse.\r\n\r\nThe kids and I had overcome many childhood misfortunes. I wanted to ensure they\u2019d at least have a better life. When I handed them the reins of the company, I slowly reverted to the ordinary woman I was before: a restless mother chomping at the bit. I had to go as far as China to finally succeed in cutting the steel-strong umbilical cord that attached me to everything I had brought to life.\r\n\r\nAs part of a tourist group, I visited the 14 villages of Wuyuan that were open to foreigners. At one such village, I was put up in a small, modest room with a single bed, terracotta-type chamber pot, table, chair and a metal flask that I could fill with fresh water from a nearby well.\r\n\r\nI remember it fondly. A few minutes after I sat up in the room, an old Chinese woman dressed in a traditional crimson-coloured floral print dress brought me a food platter. This ageless woman was exceptionally kind. She had a gentle smile, and when she started to say a few words in broken English, I immediately felt her compassion. It was like she could feel the ball of grief burning in my heart.\r\n\r\nI wanted to explain my dismay, share my life story and how sad I was to have lost my reason for living. I hid my pain from my children, from the people at the head office and from the rest of the world. I thought I was brave and strong, yet this charitable Chinese woman could see right through my sorrow. She appeared like a kind angel. I was so lonely, so far away from my loved ones and I had an urgent need to purge my despair, to cut this terrible umbilical cord that kept me tied to the past.\r\n\r\nA miracle happened when she took my hand in hers and spoke. It was like I could understand and absorb each one of her words. My heart started to beat again, my body was unshackled and my smile was so big it embraced all of China.\r\n\r\nThis woman\u2019s kind heart healed and saved me. I never knew her name, age, language, customs or her life story, but I understood that she was a kind soul. A good, warm, empathic and compassionate human being.\r\n\r\nPerhaps I\u2019m a cat with 9 lives. My hope, which could fill the heavens above, is that I will be able to keep writing until the end.\r\n\r\nI have no other havens than the hearts of my dear readers. They are the ones who welcome my words, heal my wounds, and keep me alive and effervescent.\r\n\r\nCora\r\n\u2764"},"yoast_head":"\n
\n\u2764<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"