TODAY’S WORD: REPARTIR À ZÉRO : to start over, to begin again
PRONUNCIATION: [reh-par-teer ah zeh-ro]
EXAMPLE SENTENCE:
Elle a tout quitté pour repartir à zéro.
She left everything behind to start over.
For your holiday gift-giving, pensez à mon livre — a little Provence under the tree. Order here.
Repartir à Zéro
“Any plans for Christmas?” is the question I got asked at least 20 times this week. Exactly a year ago today, I was in Marseille, France, on a meeting call with mes conseillers d’orientation, and they were asking me a very different question: “So Jacqueline, are you staying or leaving us?”
I kindly replied that I had decided to leave school and pursue a meaningful life more aligned with who I am. I had no clue what my next move would be, but the one thing I did know was that I was certainly not going to stay in a place that didn’t feel right. It’s quite funny how life can change in a year—even in a few months. I am now in New York, working with children, writing for Mom, and in love. All acquired by moving on and starting over.
My grandma Jules gifted me the gene of detachment. She is such a character—un vrai personnage. At the time, whenever she got bothered or wasn’t aligned with her values, she would just move on, no matter what roots she had built, always taking her precious daughters along with her—from Ogden to the Philippines to Phoenix to Aspen to Carefree. When she finished raising her family, she moved to Mexico.
I find myself often starting at zero. It used to bother me, thinking I wouldn’t build anything in life if I kept reversing gears. But repartir à zéro has become such a normal reflex that I’ve learned to trust it. It will all be okay—it always turns out okay when you trace your life backwards. And right now, it feels right.
Last week, I flew to California. It’s such a treat to visit my grandparents. My grandpa Kip married my step-grandma Marsha way before I was born. They are the kind of fun where they serve you rum and orange juice with your eggs au petit déjeuner. One early morning in the desert of Indio, I sat on the grass facing the desert mountains, which I found fascinating to look at. So I paused for a minute and gazed. And then realized that nature was right again. Metaphorically, their shape is not a straight line—those mountains go up, up, up, then down, then back up, and down again… beautifully translating the year 2025.
FRENCH VOCABULARY
Repartir à zéro = starting from zero; starting over
mes conseillers d’orientation = my school counselors
un personnage = a character (colorful or unique person)
mes grands-parents = my grandparents
au petit déjeuner = at breakfast
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Brava, Jackie for following your heart and your instincts. Best holiday wishes. I’m happy you will be able to see most, if not all, of your far flung family during this season. Safe travels & Joyeux Noël.
Inspiring and beautifully written. Thank you for sharing this perspective, Jacqueline. The photos are lovely and interesting. Reading this in the early morning was a great way to start my day.
How very lovely.
(You write as beautifully as your Mother)
Jackie ~ to life! The greatest gift of all!
Beautiful Jackie! It takes guts to pick up and begin again and following your heart is the best way to go!
A nice reminder to follow the ups and downs of life with no regrets. Thanks for this lovely post. Enjoy your time with your family back in La Ciotat for Christmas. Joyeux Noel to all.
Such a beautiful and inspiring post. thank you and Merry Christmas.
Our dear Jackie, thank you for this wonderful post and pictures! You totally have your dear Mom’s talent and we so appreciate having you both in our lives!
Girls,you rock!!!!( understatement!)
Blessings always
Arms tight around all of you
Love
Natalia
I love your grandparents! Could we have them visit sometime and be ours? Love your writing and love that you are adaptable and adventuresome and able to cope with change. A great talent!!!!
Loving Jackie’s stories and contribtions! Grand merci. : )
What a beautiful way to express that life, as a very wise therapist taught me, is a series of “ peaks and valleys”.
Your writing is eloquent and you so very brave for allowing these ups and downs to guide you. Much success peace and love to you and your family
Jackie – ton grand-père a l’apparence de quelqu’un qui n’est pas malade. Qu’est-ce qui s’est passé avec son cancer? J’ai souvent reparti à zero et j’ai 68 ans. Ça parle de l’aventure! Bravo, tu écris bien:)
The mountains are a good metaphor. Very few things move naturally in a straight line. Bonne chance.
Dear Jackie,
Another beautifully written story. You seem to have inherited your mom’s talent for transcending the reader into your world. You seem to be a free spirit, like your Grandma Jules and her joie de vivre. I also see your dad as a free spirit, embracing life and change, living adventurously, engaging with nature and always seeking new opportunities. You are much like them both. And you all three seem to have the quiet, loving support of your mom.
May this journey bring you magic…
Great photos as always. Grandparents are a handsome couple. Enjoyed the theme of beginning again.
dear Jackie & Kristi: As always, a delightful treat to read your entries. I think we must all start from Zero at some point in our lives; perhaps we have to do it more than once. Thanks for the reminder that life isn’t stagnant, but rather moving all the time. Joyeux noelle(?) & have a safe journey back to La Ciotat. Looking forward to your next installment.