A Cariad Life

Today is Labor Day in France, a national holiday–and just like the US, it is a bank holiday. Yet, it is quite different here and means so much more this year for me. More about that in a minute…May 1 is also very special in our home because it is Darrell’s birthday! We took the opportunity to celebrate by going out to a lovely lunch yesterday at Chez Hannah, a sweet little bistro in yet another charming French village about 15 minutes from our home. It was a gorgeous 70 degree day with sun and a light breeze. We sat outside and enjoyed the ambience–I even wore a dress (the first time I’ve done that in 6 months–wow! times have changed!) Today, some of our guests gifted Darrell with a bottle of wine, and I made Darrell the Martin family favorite, a devil’s food cake with chocolate fudge icing. We found the Betty Crocker mix and icing at our local supermarket in the “international foods.” You all know what a special and kind man my husband is–I hope today he fully realizes how many people really love him!

May 1 is also significant in our family because 1 year ago today, I resigned my job and decided to launch out into my own business. At that point, I had not yet discovered Repos à Ribérac (that would come a few days later), but I knew there were bigger things ahead and just like early spring buds break through the cold dark soil–I was yearning to emerge, to create and to connect. I believe in work–I think there is a sacredness to work–it can be missional, impactful, and fulfilling. As head of HR, it was my job to ensure people entered into work and were fulfilled in their work–having all the tools necessary to work well, not only for their company, but also so they could find personal fulfillment in what they did every day. Yet, ironically, I had become very disconnected from my work. So…when I resigned and determined to redefine what work would look like in my daily life, it was a pivotal psychological shift.

One of the first things I discovered was that now I was sole manager of my time–I’ve shared with you all before that my greatest fear has always been about wasting time and here I suddenly was with no one to manage it but me. It was also up to me to determine what were the most important priorities for each day, to take visions and dreams I had and make them a reality, and in short, I realized that building in times of rest and reflection (there is no other way for creativity to happen) had to be part of my daily life. I felt like I was going from a “paint by numbers” life to a “blank canvas” life–it was thrilling and scary.

So, one year later, Darrell and I are fully running our own business…yesterday at lunch, I told him that I don’t think I have ever been more content or fulfilled in my work than I am right now. Yesterday, I served breakfast to three couples–one from Ireland, one from the Netherlands, and one from France (fascinating!) I regularly make time to eat lunch, sitting down and enjoy reading the NY Times (yes, I still read it every day). I go to bed at a decent hour and never have to wake up before 6:30 am. Every day is different, and I meet new and interesting people. Although I never “leave” my work, I don’t feel like I need a vacation from my regular life (though I still love to explore and travel for the fun of it.)

I find it fascinating that I embarked on this redefinition of work on the day that the French celebrate Labor Day. I’ve heard people say that the French don’t like to work–very untrue; it’s my observation that they have just prioritized work appropriately in their life. So, what do the French do on Labor Day? They take the day off for one and no one can be forced to work, meaning it is the one day of the year that employees cannot be legally obliged to work (except in professions that cannot be interrupted like hospitals and public transport). There are no grocery stores, stores, or restaurants open. Sometimes, the French use this day to participate in organized marches for labor-related causes (the increased age of when one can retire is a very hot issue still), and my favorite tradition is they give each other small bouquets of lily of the valley.

It is said that the French rely on the blooming of this sweet blossom because it almost always blooms on or about May 1. Long a symbol of luck, it became tradition in the middle ages to give these blossoms in love and friendship. With the Industrial Revolution and Parisian fashion shows (interesting story), these sweet bouquets (called muguet) were given to workers in gratitude. I’ve included a short article about it here. For the last two days, these small bouquets have been for sale at our market and today someone outside the patisserie was selling them. I was most touched this morning when I found a small bouquet tucked into my front door by an anonymous donor.

There is solidarity in gestures like these that are practiced across an entire country–it symbolizes for me the beauty, culture, and kindness that above all should be valued in our daily life. Yes, work is important AND rest from work is important. We do work to live, but we don’t have to live to work. While I was ironing, Darrell brought the little bundle of flowers to me and said, “look what someone left us.” I took a moment to enjoy the fragrance of those blossoms, and then got back to my work, even sweeter because it is work I have chosen.