Marie-Michelle R. Fournier - Jan 2003:

Pour des raisons de santé, je passe le premier Janvier hors d'Haiti...

Je pleure tellement cela fait mal.

BONNE FETE HAITI

LIBERTE POUR TOUJOURS
BONNE FETE A VOUS TOUS

Let’s Celebrate the other.

As long as I can remember, referring to my childhood, the other has always interested me, fascinated me, intrigued me, helped me tame life and also understand myself. It also often made me question myself. For all these reasons, I thank the other and wish today to honor him and celebrate him with you during the Holiday season.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one who in the morning when we wake up, in the intimacy of our bathroom, crosses our eyes in the mirror. He is the first to call us, mime us, and bother us. We don’t always like him because he is a reflection of that other, the one that we sometimes find ugly, good looking, superficial, dumb, intelligent and who in reality is our own reflection. Let’s learn to love him and to accept him so that we can make the best of ourselves come out and at the same time fully enjoy life.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one that we cross in the street, on the subway, on the bus, at the airport, and who scared us because we do not understand what he is doing in our country, or because we do not understand his language, or because he is dressed in a way that we find strange, or because we don’t like the way his eyes are wandering. The other is probably looking at you in the same way and knows that in his country you would be the different one, the one everyone would observe. Smile at him and continue your path. This smile might change something in the life of that other, and also in yours.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one we find marginal, disturbing, aggravating, perturbing, the one that we sometime look at with contempt and who often returns it well. He has not had a past for a longtime; he only has the present, and the future from which he wants nothing. Let’s accept him anyway even if this is not appropriate to our way of living or to our beliefs. Let’s give him the time to question, understand and find himself. And if he doesn’t do it, let’s allow him to live the way he has chosen to.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one who on the night of December 24th will assist the midnight mass with an other, will prepare and share his food, make the other laugh and dream, who will live with the other the magic of this night, and who will open his gift and give it to the other. Let’s celebrate the chance to have that other and let’s offer him all our love.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one who within his family or in the past has often deceived, did not care for the other, often left him alone and who today is in need of the other. Let’s forget all these hard times because maybe it was the hardest path that the other has taken to finally understand that one needs another. Let’s celebrate with that other this reunion filled with hope.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one for whom the night of Christmas will be a night like any other since for a long time the other has no one with whom he could share. By his fault, or for reasons that we won’t be able to control, the other will once again be alone. He will get drunk, cry, miss he other, the one he had been and the one he has become. The other might not get the chance to meet him and to give him his friendship. Let’s celebrate him anyway.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one for who these holidays are pointless and without significance since from where he comes from it doesn’t represent anything. The other is only observing the other, and envies all the richness exposed in the stores' windows. The other is thinking how another in his own country would benefit from this if only he had the chance. If you know that other, invite him to share with you this time or rejoicing. This will give a chance to the other to understand better the customs of the other.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one who on the morning of September 11th, woke up the heart filled with hope, made love to the other and that the other never saw again. Let’s celebrate the other, the one that same morning left the house angry and whom the other will never have the chance to reconcile himself with or to forgive. Let’s celebrate the other who on that same day found in him unsuspected forces or posed heroic acts. Let’s have for that other a special thought.

Let’s celebrate the other, who every day has to save lives and who will not have the time to profit with his family and friends from the joy of these holidays. The other we be verifying the medical state of an other, helping the mothers deliver the babies, extinguishing fires, driving and ambulance or a police car, flying a plane, distributing humanitarian aid or organizing for the survival of an other. Let’s take the time to think about the other and let’s be more respectful about life and about others.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one who consecrates his life to fight all forms of ignorance. Let’s celebrate the other who teaches, accompany the other others to better understand what happens in the lives of others. during his school year, the other who writes or presents the news and helps the others.

Let’s celebrate the other, who fights for the rights of others, who makes people respect him and who brings the others to take care of his responsibilities in the respect of others.

Let’s celebrate the other, this child who is in the hope of a better world, who looks at us and imitates us. Let’s make him understand the importance of the other so that one day he can go towards the other. Let’s celebrate these little girls and boys who will not have the right or the time to be children, the ones for whom this holiday season will only bring more disillusion. Let’s celebrate their courage and hope.

Let’s celebrate the other, the one the other will never know, the other who will remain anonymous even though he realizes every day unknown things that are important for him and his area. Let’s celebrate the other who also has the right to live in peace and with respect.

During this holiday season, let’s celebrate all, let’s celebrate the other and together let us make an immense circle so that peace reigns in families, at work, in the cities and in other places.

Let’s make a round of prayers, friendship and love together so that the other becomes our other and so that we can become his other. This will then facilitate a durable world peace. Together let’s celebrate the other and let us never forget that we are always the other of someone.

Marie-Michelle R. Fournier
Founder and Director
Foundation Marie-Michelle R. Fournier
marimifour@yahoo.ca

FOUNDATION MARIE-MICHELLE R. FOURNIER

Foundation M.M.R.F.
350 Verdon Prive
Ottawa Ont K-1-T 3-A-1

For additional information, please contact Dominique (416-701-9323) or Nicole (613-526-1460) or Josette (407-333-9379)