Stars over the Valley of Serre Chevalier. Jean-Marc took this photo on the way back from a quiet gathering to console our close friends who have lost their firstborn. Four young men lost their lives in the car accident early Saturday morning. The entire Alpine valley of Serre Chevalier is in mourning. The following bilingual post was written in the car on our way home from the funeral.
TOUTE NOTRE TENDRESSE
Une semaine après être revenus des Alpes, nous y sommes subitement retournés. Nous voulions soutenir et exprimer toute notre tendresse à nos chers amis Isild et Guillaume ainsi qu'à leur fils Edgar, leur famille, amis, proches suite au décès tragique de leur fils aîné Arthur.
One week after coming back from the Alps, we suddenly returned. We wanted to support and to express all of our tenderness to our dear friends Isild and Guillaume as well as their son Edgar, their family, friends, those close to them following the death of their oldest son Arthur.
Dans l'église "La Collégiale" à Briançon, aussi majestueuse que les montagnes qui l'entourent, nous étions plus d'un millier à écouter les témoignages d'amour portés par leurs* familles et tous ceux qui l'ont connu.
In La Collégiate church in Briançon, as majestic as the mountains that surround it, we were more than one thousand (in attendance) to listen to the testimonies of love delivered by their* families and all that knew them….
L'émotion était d'autant plus forte que l'accident a coûté la vie à quatre* jeunes hommes , tous membres de l'équipe de ski de Serre Chevalier, tous âgés de dix sept a vingt ans.
The emotion was even stronger given that the accident cost the lives of four young men, all members of the Serre Chevalier ski team, all aged from seventeen to twenty years old.
Dans ces circonstances si bouleversantes, il n'y a pas de mots pour soulager nos amis. En espérant que tout l'amour présent lors de cette poignante cérémonie puisse leur apporter le réconfort dont ils ont tant besoin.
In these overwhelming circumstances, there are no words to relieve the pain of our friends. In hopes that all the love present during this poignant ceremony can bring them the comfort that they greatly need.
During the long drive back to La Ciotat, we listened to the song chosen by Arthur's family. Love of My Life by Queen (click on the Eagle above to listen) had echoed through the massive La Collégiale cathedral as the light poured in from the giant entrance, sweeping across the crowded pews, gracing all in attendance.
Image Par LPLT — Travail personnel, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Kristin, our hearts are with you during this time. Lifting you up. Muriel
Ah hon, truly tough times for so many. Sending you a big virtual hug, until we see each other in person for a real one Xxxx
Dear Kristi
I weep with you as I read this post. It cannot help but evoke a tremendous sorrow in the hearts of every mother who has a beloved son. Your dear friends will appreciate the love and support you are giving to them.
Love to you all
Lynda
So very sad. I’m sure your friends appreciate your support.
Beautifully written, but sad none the less. I hope the wonderful memories of their sons (friends) are of some comfort to all who new them.
A beautifully written homage that does justice to the tragedy it addresses in the most loving. compassionate and sensitive way. So sad for all concerned.
So very very sad….
So many hopes and dreams shattered.
I am sure your love and concern were appreciated.
Claudette
Very sad for those families. Keeping them in my prayers!
Such heartbreak ! Sometimes the best thing is to be near those who have lost a loved one, to let them know you care and and share in their griefs. Life is precious and their untimely departures will leave a void. Your words are consoling – their memories and love are eternal.
Having lost my only child two years ago, there are no words to describe the sadness. I have been fortunate to have loving friends and family “prop” me up for at times that is what has taken me to the next moment. Someone told me early on, “This is the worst thing that will ever happen to you but worse than that is that you wouldn’t have had your son for 19 years.” I know that is true. Continue to offer love and your presence… Condolences to all of you in this dreadful time.
Condolences to you, your family, and your friends and their families and friends. Desolee
Carolyn
Thank you for your helpful words and sharing, Rebecca. My heart goes out to you. Sending extra love your way.
What a beautiful eulogy and recounting, you and Jean-Marc, side by side. I’m sure your friends took solace in you being there. I can’t even contemplate the loss of a child. So very sad. How does one recover? Bless you both for being there to help.
So sorry to hear this. Gone too soon. How loved they all are! What a difference our lives truly make. Hugs and prayers.
I am so sad for you and your friends. What a tender, loving homage you have written. It is tragic that these young men were taken too soon, at the prime of their youth. As a previous poster said, the only thing worse would have been not knowing and loving them. I cannot even imagine what terrible pain and sense of loss your friends are experiencing. I am glad that you and your family and their other loved ones are there to help them through the painful, sad journey which lies ahead.
My sincere condolences,
Suzanne
No one should out live a son, daughter, or grandchild. I’m sure your love, caring and tenderness is a comfort to your dear friends.
My brother died at 40 and my vivacious life loving mother lost her spark for living. Her biggest comfort was the love and caring of dear friends and family at such a horrific tragedy..
I only know you through your postings, however I can tell you are a genuine loving,caring person. I’m sure your ongoing love and support for your dear friends will be a great comfort to them.
Kristin, my thoughts are with you, your family and the families of those who lost their lives. After having just been to a funeral last week of a dear friend and coworker, I can image how everyone is feeling. Paul had a long life even at 59 but to have the young die so early is even more heartbreaking. What a wonderful tribute to their lives having so many present.
Hello. We are so sad to hear this news and although we have never met you, our thoughts are with you and your families.
Liz and chris. Le Castellet
These young people have left a void that can never be filled ~ such a tragedy for the families and their friends. I know your love and presence, and that of Jean-Marc, gave solace to all
.
You do not recover… life as one knew it before the loss of your child is forever changed…
Dear Kristi, I offer up prayers for God’s comfort to cover the families and all those affected by this tragedy. May all the tender love, care, and support help them to heal ♥
…… I know that having you and Jean Marc there beside them was a comfort. May God hold the parents and families of the young men lost and gone forever in his hand, and bless them. I have been told that losing a child is the worst event in the world. I have seen it and believe me it is. Try and communicate with them over the next year as it will be extremely difficult for them. They need all the love and support they can get fro family and good friends….. J.
…Too young…too much life to live…may we all comfort each other through our earthly heartbreaks. Love, Valerie
So, so, sad. I cannot imagine the grief—so huge. I have been to funerals for a young person and always feel an enormous compassion for the bereft family and friends who literally stagger under the load of their emotional loss. I pray that with the passage of time the people grieving these young men will come together again and create something good, beautiful, and enduring as a memorial of the individual and collective spirits of the four ‘loves of their lives’. My deepest sympathy to all affected by this tragedy.
So sorry to hear this tragic news, Kristin! Much love and hugs to you and your friends.
Prob a poor choice of words “recover”. Really it’s how to live a different life that’s been totally changed, to never be the same again. I know after suddenly losing my very healthy husband after 51 years of marriage. Life will never be the same but friends and family help to guide me through this new life. Not easy but I’m wanting to respect his memory, so I try. Thanks for your note!
Such heartbreak…what can one say when loved ones are taken so young, so needlessly…Just how life is, and thank God for our faith, our families and our friends.
Without them, how would one go on? Our sincere condolences to them all..
And I know Briançon, from my first trip there in 1957, to other times. I will never again think of it without remembering this sad event. Blessings on you, dear friend, and thank you for this beautiful testimonial.
So sad…
For you, for your friends, for Rebecca, I pray for Gods healing presence. Rebecca is right, we never “get over it”, we simply learn to live with the loss.
So sad. So moving. Thanks for sharing. A reminder, thru the hustle and bustle, of how precious life is and how interconnected we all are. Condolences to you and your friends.
Kristin
My heartfelt condolences to you and your families who are hurting and sorrowful. The song chosen is so beautiful and expresses so much love for the people
Yes, very sad and touching post. I’m amazed at how a half a second can be all that separates us from deep grief or joy. Jean-Marc’s photo is fitting. I can imagine how beautiful Love of My Life sounded in the cathedral and the light that poured in through those windows. My heart goes out to you and the families who lost their loved ones.
I am very sorry. The pain of such a loss can be heartrending and painful physically and mentally. I am thinking of both of you and your dear friends. Last year, my dear grand nephew died when his Navy jet fighter plane crashed. It has been so hard for my family, and the pain of that death rests with me every day. I understand how awful this is, and I am truly and very deeply sorry for you.
Dear Kristi and Jean-Marc,
You have done exactly what could be done to comfort your friends after such a tragic and meaningless loss. I know you will continue to be there for them, as that is the kind of friends you two are. I am so sorry for this loss for everyone involved… so very sad.
Hugs and warm thoughts to you.
Frances, Very sorry about your grand nephew. May your family be surrounded by the comforting gestures of those who knew him and loved him.
Our dear Kristi and Jean Marc,
Our deepest sympathy and prayers are with you and the families.
Your love and support throughout this tragic time express far more than words themselves could.
What a gift to have had these vibrant young men in your lives.
God bless all of you
Arms around you
Love
Natalia. Xo
Dear Kristi,
Your devastating, tragic and heart-rending story is overwhelming. Equally overwhelming are the beautiful comments from your readers. Such kind and compassionate people they are…
There are no words to express and soften the terrible blow which these families have received. Only cherished friends such as you and Jean-Marc and their families can help ease the pain they will always experience. My heart goes out to them and to you.
So very sad. Sending prayers to those families.
xoxo
That song expresses it deeply and brought tears to my eyes. May God give them comfort in this tragedy.
As you know we lost our own skiing son in an automobile accident. Our hearts go out to you and these families and friends who mourn this tragic loss. We pray for comfort and solace and support as they begin the journey ahead. We hope they treasure the memories and continue to speak of them. We have, in our own situation. It has helped us to tell the stories as some connection brings them up.
Carolyn,
Your words bring on a new wave of emotion. Thinking of you and your son 💕. Your words about solace and speaking about the memories are helpful. Our friends are on our minds 24/7; we feel helpless faced with the pain they in.
So very sorry for your and your friends’ loss, as well as for the other families. Wish I could do something to help. I will pray. RL
Thinking of you, your dear friends and the whole community that is mourning the loss of these young lives.
What sadness …
What a tragedy. Our hearts go out to the family.
And I could not open Queen’s song but will on the net.
Sometimes there are just no words.
Loving thoughts going out to you.
I am in a profession that has to deal with death from time to time. I was referred to a book by a mother who lost her son to an illness. It is a short book @150 pages. I have read it and also referred others to it for their personal use in time of death. The author recounts her own experiences as to how her son’s death affected her. Her message is that one never forgets or fully recovers emotionally but the tragic loss is survivable and with time the dark days do improve and become easier to bear. I do not get a dime from sales of this book and only recommend it to help your friends assuage their grief. I hope this helps. With sympathy, Bill
PS The Book is entitled “The Bereaved Parent”
Thank you, Bill. Im going to look into this book for my friends.