Ces jours-ci, lorsque je rougis mes l\u00e8vres devant le miroir, il m\u2019arrive de voir appara\u00eetre sur le haut de mon front des petites cornes de diable. Oui, oui, vous avez bien lu! De temps \u00e0 autre, une vilaine jalousie s\u2019empare de ma caboche. Pourtant, sauf pour les grandes h\u00e9ro\u00efnes de l\u2019histoire, je n\u2019ai jamais envi\u00e9 quiconque. Ni C\u00e9line\u00a0Dion, connue mondialement, ni la c\u00e9l\u00e8bre Coco Chanel, ni m\u00eame mon idole, la grande romanci\u00e8re canadienne Margaret\u00a0Atwood (82\u00a0ans).<\/p>\n
La v\u00e9rit\u00e9, c\u2019est que j\u2019admire toutes les femmes braves et courageuses. Or, voil\u00e0 que pendant cette vilaine pand\u00e9mie, j\u2019ai tout fait pour continuer \u00e0 vivre normalement. J\u2019ai r\u00e9fl\u00e9chi \u00e0 outrance \u00e0 ma situation de r\u00e9cente retrait\u00e9e; j\u2019ai b\u00e9ni ma passion pour l\u2019\u00e9criture et j\u2019ai lu matin, midi et soir des livres s\u00e9rieux pour apprendre, de bons romans pour me divertir, et les tr\u00e8s grands auteurs pour am\u00e9liorer mon style d\u2019\u00e9criture.<\/p>\n
Tout allait bien jusqu\u2019\u00e0 ce qu\u2019une montgolfi\u00e8re g\u00e9ante envahisse ma maison. Oui, oui, j\u2019ai presque arr\u00eat\u00e9 de respirer tellement un gros ballon de jalousie s\u2019est empar\u00e9 de mon espace vital. \u00ab\u00a0Une plausible jalousie\u00a0\u00bb, me direz-vous? Mais apprendre \u00e0 quelques semaines d\u2019intervalle que quatre d\u00e9esses, dans mes \u00e2ges, ont r\u00e9cemment trouv\u00e9 l\u2019amour; c\u2019en est trop! Pas deux, pas trois, mais quatre femmes quasi aussi m\u00fbres que moi. C\u2019est une trop grosse bouch\u00e9e \u00e0 avaler. Moi qui suis c\u00e9libataire depuis plus de quarante ans, comment puis-je retenir mon d\u00e9sarroi? Ne puis-je m\u00e9riter, moi aussi, un agent\u00a0007, un Bradley Cooper ou m\u00eame un beau vieillard ressemblant \u00e0 Sean\u00a0Connery?<\/p>\n
La premi\u00e8re chanceuse \u00e0 m\u2019apprendre la bonne nouvelle fut mon ancienne copine de coll\u00e8ge; du temps de nos premiers balbutiements devant la gent masculine. Mireille \u00e9tait assur\u00e9ment plus \u00e9duqu\u00e9e que moi sur les choses de la vie, car chez nous, maman pensait que l\u2019\u00e9cole allait faire de nous des jeunes filles mod\u00e8les. Ainsi donc, j\u2019ai peu appris sur l\u2019amour et les parades de jars fringants; et pas plus sur la valse et le tango. Bref, tout comme moi, Mireille a \u00e9pous\u00e9 un \u00e9tranger. Et nous nous sommes perdues de vue dans nos communaut\u00e9s respectives pendant toutes ces ann\u00e9es pass\u00e9es \u00e0 jouer \u00e0 la maman. J\u2019ai divorc\u00e9 \u00e0 33\u00a0ans et je l\u2019ai vue encore moins souvent, enr\u00f4l\u00e9e dans la course \u00e0 la survie. Puis ce furent les affaires, quelques voyages et son tragique appel m\u2019apprenant, en 2016, la mort de son \u00e9poux. J\u2019\u00e9tais \u00e0 Tokyo pour encore 18\u00a0jours et je n\u2019ai pu la consoler. Veuve encore amoureuse de la vie, Mireille a rencontr\u00e9 le plus merveilleux des hommes quelque deux ans apr\u00e8s la mort de son \u00e9poux. Veuf lui aussi, ils ont tout de suite sympathis\u00e9. Je les ai rencontr\u00e9s il y a quelques mois et j\u2019ai \u00e9t\u00e9 \u00e9blouie du bonheur de ces deux tourtereaux, visible \u00e0 l\u2019\u0153il nu. Tellement d\u2019amour et de baisers \u00e0 la sauvette enrubannaient leurs deux pr\u00e9sences que j\u2019ai senti un petit bond sur ma t\u00eate. Comme si mes petites cornes avaient rallong\u00e9 de quelques millim\u00e8tres, juste \u00e0 contempler ce couple d\u2019amoureux.
\n\u00ab\u00a0La tendresse, insista Mireille. Mon grand David incarne la tendresse.\u00a0\u00bb
\n- Anges b\u00e9nis, dites-moi vite si la tendresse se d\u00e9tecte \u00e0 l\u2019\u0153il nu et comment faire pour qu\u2019elle accoste dans mon c\u0153ur?<\/p>\n
Puis ce fut Lilianne. Celle que j\u2019ai le moins fr\u00e9quent\u00e9e \u00e0 cause de son travail \u00e0 travers le Canada. Divorc\u00e9e, elle est extr\u00eamement jolie, coquette et audacieuse. Et pourtant, c\u2019est sa grande fille qui a trouv\u00e9 un amoureux pour sa m\u00e8re\u00a0: un voisin bien pein\u00e9 d\u2019avoir perdu son \u00e9pouse canc\u00e9reuse. Elle les a pr\u00e9sent\u00e9s l\u2019un \u00e0 l\u2019autre et le coup de foudre s\u2019est occup\u00e9 du reste. Moi aussi j\u2019ai une grande fille. Peut-\u00eatre me trouve-t-elle trop vieille pour \u00eatre pr\u00e9sent\u00e9e \u00e0 un prince charmant? Et par surcro\u00eet, le nouvel amoureux est une dizaine d\u2019ann\u00e9es plus jeune que notre Lilianne. Je suis certaine que c\u2019est son sourire qui l\u2019a s\u00e9duit. Nous avons mang\u00e9 ensemble \u00e0 Bromont, et je les ai trouv\u00e9s magnifiques. Pendant que lui, attentif et souriant, tournait les burgers sur le BBQ, elle, coquine et espi\u00e8gle, distribuait les garnitures avec choix de relish, ketchup et moutarde \u00e9pic\u00e9e. J\u2019\u00e9tais estomaqu\u00e9e de bonheur. Surprise qu\u2019un couple r\u00e9cemment reconstitu\u00e9 puisse \u00eatre \u00e0 ce point \u00e9blouissant d\u2019amour. Ce jour-l\u00e0, mes petites cornes ont dr\u00f4lement allong\u00e9.<\/p>\n
Arriva ensuite le tour de Carole; celle qui travaille encore comme une forcen\u00e9e. Elle est agente immobili\u00e8re. C\u00e9libataire cherchant l\u2019homme id\u00e9al depuis tr\u00e8s longtemps, Carole ne s\u2019est jamais r\u00e9sign\u00e9e et elle a eu raison! Il y a un mois, elle m\u2019a invit\u00e9e au resto asiatique du village pour m\u2019apprendre la nouvelle. Son cari aux crevettes refroidissait sur la table pendant qu\u2019elle-m\u00eame s\u2019enflammait juste \u00e0 me d\u00e9crire le nouvel homme de sa vie. Au dessert, je l\u2019ai vu en photo et j\u2019ai cru faiblir. Un beau brun aux yeux bruns; ancien professeur, libre comme l\u2019air, attentionn\u00e9 et tr\u00e8s habile en r\u00e9novation de maison. \u00ab\u00a0Et justement, d\u2019ajouter la belle Carole, ma demeure elle aussi a besoin de tendresse.\u00a0\u00bb Wow! Mes petites cornes poussent trop vite. Serais-je donc la seule esseul\u00e9e au monde? Mais comment pourrais-je afficher ma binette sur les m\u00e9dias sociaux pour vanter autre chose qu\u2019un bon d\u00e9jeuner? C\u2019est pourtant ainsi que Carole a trouv\u00e9 l\u2019\u00e9lu de son c\u0153ur. J\u2019ai honte! On voit certainement les petites cornes d\u00e9passer de ma chevelure.<\/p>\n
\u00c0 peine une semaine plus tard, Cupidon atteignit Sophie, une magnifique femme beaucoup plus jeune que moi et prof de yoga. Nous nous sommes rencontr\u00e9es chez une amie commune et avons tout de suite fraternis\u00e9; assez pour qu\u2019elle me confie avoir r\u00e9cemment \u00ab\u00a0trouv\u00e9 chaussure \u00e0 son pied\u00a0\u00bb sur les r\u00e9seaux sociaux. Seigneur, je d\u00e9sesp\u00e8re! Elle aussi a trouv\u00e9 un bel amoureux.<\/p>\n
Elle a pris son temps, m\u2019avoua-t-elle, examinant plusieurs profils int\u00e9ressants. Elle a aussi partag\u00e9 avec moi son horreur des listes \u00e0 r\u00e9diger pour trouver le bon candidat.
\n\u00ab\u00a0Apr\u00e8s tout, ma ch\u00e8re Cora, il ne s\u2019agit pas d\u2019une liste d\u2019\u00e9picerie\u00a0\u00bb.
\nMoi qui pensais que oui. Il faut quand m\u00eame savoir quoi mettre dans le panier pour pouvoir appr\u00eater un bon repas.<\/p>\n
Et cette ch\u00e8re Sophie, spirituelle et profonde, de me dire que la seule chose qu\u2019il y a \u00e0 faire c\u2019est de \u00ab\u00a0s\u2019interroger soi-m\u00eame, sur ce que l\u2019on veut vivre avec un nouveau compagnon\u00a0\u00bb. Elle a elle-m\u00eame pos\u00e9 la question \u00e0 certains candidats du r\u00e9seau et celui qui a r\u00e9pondu \u00ab\u00a0JE VEUX VIVRE LA BIENVEILLANCE\u00a0\u00bb est celui qu\u2019elle a choisi et qui s\u2019est av\u00e9r\u00e9 pour elle un compagnon magnifique, \u00ab\u00a0une v\u00e9ritable \u00e2me s\u0153ur\u00a0\u00bb, a-t-elle rench\u00e9ri.<\/p>\n
Je ne veux plus \u00eatre jalouse de qui que ce soit. Je veux juste pratiquer ma bienveillance. \u00catre compr\u00e9hensive envers autrui, indulgente, gentille, douce et attentionn\u00e9e. Je veux vraiment m\u2019ouvrir au bonheur. M\u2019accepter telle que je suis, avec mes forces et mes faiblesses. \u00catre capable d\u2019exprimer mes besoins et d\u2019\u00eatre \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9coute des besoins des autres.<\/p>\n
Je veux vivre encore longtemps avec amour, courage et d\u00e9termination. Et peut-\u00eatre qu\u2019un jour, la BIENVEILLANCE elle-m\u00eame me prendra sous son aile. \u00ab\u00a0Demandez et vous recevrez\u00a0\u00bb, r\u00e9p\u00e8tent les sages depuis des milliers d\u2019ann\u00e9es.<\/p>\n
Cora
\n\u2764<\/p>\n
P.-S. \u2013 Bien entendu, tous les pr\u00e9noms ont \u00e9t\u00e9 chang\u00e9s pour pr\u00e9server l\u2019anonymat des chanceuses.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Ces jours-ci, lorsque je rougis mes l\u00e8vres devant le miroir, il m\u2019arrive […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":414,"featured_media":5942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5941","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lettre-mme-cora"],"acf":{"img_en":"","contenu_en":"These days, when I apply lipstick in front of the mirror, I occasionally notice little devil horns protruding from my forehead. Yes, you read that right! The green-eyed monster takes hold of my noggin from time to time. Yet, apart from the great heroines of history, I have never envied anyone. Not superstar C\u00e9line Dion, not the famous Coco Chanel, not even my idol, the great Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood (82 years old).\r\n\r\nThe truth is that I admire all brave and courageous women. Yet, during this dreadful pandemic, I\u2019ve done everything I can to get on with my life. I reflected deeply on my new reality as a retiree; I\u2019ve reignited my passion for writing and read instructive books, entertaining novels and gifted authors to improve my writing style.\r\n\r\nEverything was fine until a giant hot air balloon of jealousy invaded my house. The balloon filled my living space, almost cutting off my breath. \u201cSounds like jealousy,\u201d you say? To learn within a few weeks that four goddesses around my age recently found love\u2026well, I couldn\u2019t hold jealousy back! Not two, not three, but four women almost as mature as me. It\u2019s simply too big of a mouthful to swallow. I have been single for over 40 years, my dismay overpowered me. Don\u2019t I deserve a 007 agent, a Bradley Cooper or even a handsome nonagenarian like Sean Connery?\r\n\r\nThe first lucky lady to tell me the good news was my old college friend, back in our early awkward exchanges with the opposite sex. Mireille was certainly more educated than I was about matters of life, because at home, Mom thought that school would shape us into model girls. So I learned little about love and the parade of dashing fellows or dancing the tango. In short, like me, Mireille married a stranger. We lost touch with each other during those long years that we played mothers in different towns. I got divorced at 33 and saw her even less often, as I enlisted in the race for survival. Then it was business, a few trips and her tragic phone call telling me in 2016 that her husband had passed. I was in Tokyo for another 18 days and couldn\u2019t console her. A widow still in love with life, Mireille met the most wonderful man some two years after her husband\u2019s death. Also a widower, they hit it off right away. I met them a few months ago and was amazed at the obvious happiness that emanated from these two lovebirds. There was so much love and surreptitious kissing binding them together that I felt little bumps on my head. It was as if my horns had grown a few millimetres longer just looking at this affectionate couple. \u201cTenderness,\u201d insisted Mireille. \u201cMy David is tenderness itself.\u201d\r\n- \u201cBlessed angels, tell me quickly if tenderness can be detected with the naked eye and how to coax it to my heart\u2019s harbour?\u201d\r\n\r\nThen it was Lilianne\u2019s turn. The one I\u2019ve seen the least because of her work across Canada. A very attractive divorcee who is flirtatious and daring. And yet, it was her grown daughter who found a partner for her mother: a neighbour who had lost his wife to cancer. She introduced them to each other and the attraction was instant. I too have a grown daughter. Maybe she thinks I\u2019m too old to be introduced to a prince charming? And what\u2019s more, her new fellow is about 10 years younger than Lilianne. I\u2019m sure it was her smile that won him over. We ate together in Bromont, and I thought they were lovely. He attentively turned the burgers on the BBQ as he smiled; she served up the toppings of relish, ketchup and spicy mustard with a naughty, mischievous air. I was gobsmacked with happiness. Surprised that a newly reunited couple could be so dazzlingly in love. That day my little horns really grew long.\r\n\r\nThen came Carole, who still works long hours. She is a real estate agent and was single for many years, always on the lookout for Mr. Right. She held out, and a good thing too! A month ago, she invited me to the town\u2019s only Asian restaurant to tell me the news. Her shrimp curry got cold as she burst with excitement describing the new man in her life. She showed me a picture of him at dessert. I thought my whole body would go limp. A handsome, brown-eyed, former teacher, free as a bird, thoughtful and very skilled in home improvement. \u201cAnd,\u201d added the beautiful Carole, \u201cmy house needs some loving too.\u201d Wow! My little horns grew faster than ever. Am I the only lonely one in the world? But how can I put my face on social media to promote anything other than a good breakfast? But that\u2019s how Carole found the man of her dreams. Shame on me! You can no doubt see the little horns sticking out from my hair.\r\n\r\nBarely a week later, Cupid visited Sophie, a beautiful woman much younger than me and a yoga teacher. We met at a mutual friend\u2019s house and immediately hit it off; enough so that she confided in me that she had recently \u201cfound a match\u201d on social media. Lord, I am thrown into despair! She too found a handsome lover.\r\n\r\nShe took her time, she confessed, considering several promising profiles. She also shared with me her horror of the lists she had to write to find the right match. \"After all, Cora, It\u2019s not like making a shopping list.\u201d I had assumed the opposite was true. After all, don\u2019t you have to know what to put in the basket in order to make a satisfying meal?\r\n\r\nDeep, spiritual Sophie told me that the only thing you have to do is \u201cask yourself what you want to experience with a new partner.\u201d She asked the question to a few of the candidates on the platform and the one who answered, \u201cI WANT TO EXPERIENCE KINDESS\u201d was the one she chose and who turned out to be a magnificent companion for her. \u201cA true soulmate,\u201d she added.\r\n\r\nI don\u2019t want to be jealous of anyone anymore. I just want to adopt a practice of kindness. To be understanding, forgiving, caring, gentle and attentive towards others. I truly want to open myself to happiness. To accept myself as I am, with my strengths and weaknesses. To be able to express my needs and to listen to the needs of others.\r\n\r\nI want to live for many more years with love, courage and determination. And maybe one day, KINDNESS itself will take me under its wing. \u201cAsk and you shall receive,\u201d the wise men have been saying for thousands of years.\r\n\r\nCora\r\n\u2764\r\n\r\nP.S. Of course, all first names have been changed to respect the privacy of my lucky friends."},"yoast_head":"\n