It's never "too late"...
While Chantal had given up on her dream, thinking she wasn't "good enough", her little spark was determined never to leave her...
Hello darlings, I hope you're well.
On Tuesday evening, I attended a very nice ceremony: the graduation of the elementary school children at the school where my mom works.
There were many things that moved me that evening (this could be the basis of a few Newsletters... đ€Ș), but I want to dwell on the most important one: my mom.
Let me take you into her story... :
Once upon a time, there was a young woman, Chantal, who had everything going for her: she was charming, funny, intelligent. She loved children and had always dreamed of one day becoming a teacher. She could already picture herself in her tastefully decorated classroom, surrounded by the laughter and screaming of little ones.
En route to her dream, she started her higher education. Initially full of enthusiasm, she was soon disillusioned: she couldn't shake the feeling that she was "not up to the task".
As the learning material piled up, she began to panic. "I'm never going to make it," she told herself.
Her parents, who at the time saw more value in having a daughter who worked and contributed to the household expenses than one who pursued her education, did little to encourage Chantal to persevere in her chosen path.
"That's right, it's probably better that I start working and earning a living..." the young woman concluded. "Anyway, Iâm not smart enough to fulfill these studies."
And just like that, Chantal put her project on hold and started working in a bank. As the years went by, she married and had two children. Her two kids became her whole world - at last, she could do what she had always dreamed of: helping new beings evolve on this Earth.
But something was missing, and she felt a latent sadness inside her that she couldnât explain. Little did she know that it was her spark, her life mission, that was trying to communicate with her.
Her children grew up hearing her talk down on herself. "I'm not intelligent," she would repeat. "I'm not legitimate, I don't have diplomas", she would say.
In the meantime, Chloe and Arnaud could see the smiles on their classmates' faces when their teachers announced that Chantal was part of the team of parents who would be accompanying them on field trips. "Yayyy!!!", they screamed every time (much to the desperation of Chloe, who used to be a little jealous and didn't hesitate to remind her classmates that she was "HERâ mommy đ€Ș).
When Chantal's kind-hearted relatives encouraged her to go back to school, she always replied that it was "too late".
... Until the day when, at the age of 58, Chantal received a dream opportunity from her best friend, a schoolteacher (because yes, of course, over the years, Chantal has had quite a few schoolteachers in her friends circles... đ€Ș ): a nearby school was looking for someone to take on a few hours of supervised study each week.
Needless to say, our heroine felt like a fish in water when she took on this new mission.
Every year, the same thing happened: as the weeks and months went by, "Madame Chantal" became more and more imprinted on the children's hearts. There were countless poems, drawings and other gifts brought home... and she received regular heartfelt thanks from the parents. "Thanks to you, my son has learned to love school!â "My daughter talks about you all the time!"... Compliments that never fail to bring a smile to her face, and fill her sensitive eyes with tears.
After 40 years living in a submarine, Chantal's little spark returned to the surface and led her to fulfill her destiny... getting back at all those who once thought that "it's too late" was a phrase you could believe in.
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Lovely tale, isn't it? đ It is real life that creates the most beautiful stories. Stories in which we are all the heroes and heroines.
As I reread what I've just written, I realize that my mission certainly stems from the frustration of my mom's; I grew up feeling the spark in her, I did everything I could to try and show it to her, but I didn't know how to do it...
Now it's my job to seek out the sparks in the people I guide. And to bring them out of their submarine. Because they're worth it... Aren't they? âš
Get your spark out by coming to play with me! Write to me at chloe.vandooren@gmail.com, and we'll discuss the best path to embark on together.