Cibèle’s 1st Anniversary: Embracing Each Moment
Is there anything lovelier than being given poetry as a present? To celebrate Cibèle’s 1st anniversary, allow yourself to be moved by resident Luce Thavard’s heartfelt words as she openly shares what life at Le Groupe Maurice represents to her.
I am free, and I have chosen!
I left behind the walls that watched me grow. I closed the door… one last time. Not out of weakness. Out of strength.
I said goodbye to my home. Its laughter, its silences, its stairs climbed a thousand times, its windows opening onto my years.
It wasn’t easy. It wasn’t nothing. But I understood! What we leave behind does not erase what we’ve lived.
So I made a choice. I chose Cibèle. Not out of necessity. But by desire.
I chose a place where I can breathe freely, where I can simply be myself – no roles to play, no masks to hide behind.
Where words are shared without demand, and silence… holds no loneliness.
I no longer live by the clock; time walks beside me, never rushing me.
And if the world speeds by, I let it go. I am here. Grounded. Alive.
A retirement residence isn’t about stepping back – it’s a return to what truly matters. Here, the days unfold like ribbons of light.
Every wrinkle is a wave etched upon my face. The wind brushes through my white hair, tender as a loved one’s touch, and the salt of the sea on my youthful skin recalls the carefree days of my younger years. I live in tune with the tides within me, where each breath is a choice.
Birds don’t ask for permission to fly. I, too, spread my invisible wings, woven from memories and wisdom.
When we speak of time passing, of life’s changing seasons, of that inner flame that drives us to imagine and dream, we reach a universal depth; the essence of human dignity and our freedom to choose, to think and to act freely.
And if at times nostalgia brushes against me, I welcome it like a faithful friend. For here at Cibèle – mother of the gods, protector of nature and humanity, often called grandmother – in this peaceful nest, I can finally breathe.
I am free. Free to prove nothing. Free not to please. Free to say no. Free to say yes. Free to say nothing at all and to savour silence like a song.
I am free to choose my mornings, to walk without purpose, to stop without reason, to smile without explanation.
I am free to inhabit my body, my age, my story. Free to be of no use to the world, yet vital to my own being.
Freedom is fragile. It was forged in the fires of History, through texts, struggles and revolutions for human dignity.
To be free is not to do whatever one wants, but to do what one truly is; to have the courage to be oneself.
Freedom is living in your own heart!
Luce Thavard
Madame Thavard, your heartfelt and passionate words move us profoundly, providing a touching portrait of your life in residence. May you keep flourishing in this lovely Saint-Hyacinthe community. Thank you again for your beautiful contribution, and happy anniversary to Cibèle!