TODAY’S WORD: apprentissage : learning; apprenticeship
PRONUNCIATION: ah-prahn-tee-sahj

A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse 

The first thing I did when Jean-Marc and Jackie left for the airport was to hurry to her room. Our little American shepherd followed, to sniff out anything my daughter might’ve left behind. 

Ricci’s nose swept the floor like one of those metal detectors used by treasure hunters here on the local beach. Meanwhile, I turned over the pillows, looked under the bed and behind the desk. In the flurry of leaving, my daughter might have forgotten something and there would still be time to retrieve it, charge out the front door, dévaler les escaliers, and hurry out to the street in my pajamas waving the trophy excitedly as our car backed out of the driveway and approached the intersection. I’ve done it before and this last-minute exchange is exhilarating, funny, and even a little poignant. It’s becoming a tradition.

But in my daughter’s wake, there was nothing but a dusty pair of chaussettes left beside the bed. Unlike an iPhone charger or a passport, these weren’t trip essentials. There’d be no street corner trophy show this morning. I picked up the soft gray socks, “Merci, Ricci! Bien trouvé!” I would wear them on my morning walk, for a bit of warmth and comfort in her absence.

On my way out of the bedroom, Ricci ever on my heels, I spotted three letters on the desk. Another family tradition: la lettre cachée. One was addressed to me:

Dear Mommy,

I am so grateful to have you as my mom. I wish you the best moment here with Grandma. Be patient with her because she won’t be (lol). If you are, you’ll have the best time! But don’t get used to being on your own too much. Please call me when you feel anything. I will keep my phone on 24/7. Enjoy these precious moments alone with your mom. Maybe record them. It will go fast.

I apologize if at times I wasn’t patient. I guess I am just growing and changing, my environment, peace shifted since last February when life was good.

Bref, I wish you the best for your upcoming book. I can’t wait to see it.

I miss you a lot, always. 

I love you,

Jackie

I took the letter up to my empty room, setting it on my nightstand, letting the wise words seep into my soul. Lately, I’ve been so grumpy. I think that’s what Jackie meant when she wrote about things being peaceful last February—when the two of us shared the house while Jean-Marc was away in Chile and Argentina. And now he is on his way to South Africa, to Cape Town. Only Jackie won’t be here to keep me on my toes—carrying on her father’s mischief in his absence. But her letter is already bridging the gap, and I can look forward to her regular correspondence from Brooklyn.

Je vais positiver! I will focus on all the blessings, like the fact Max and Ana will soon be back from their USA périple. And I have my mom here with me… I must learn to be more patient in this blossoming role of aidante, or caregiver. As Natalie, infirmière, said during her morning visite à domicile, “Personne n’est parfait, on commet tous des erreurs. L’essentiel, c’est de se corriger.” Closing her nurse’s notebook, signing out, she added with a warm smile, “Ça, c’est un bel apprentissage.” 

A beautiful learning experience. C’est vrai: caring for another we learn to be more loving and patient with ourselves—and that benefits tout le monde. 

Nurse Natalie’s words lingered. I have some improving to do in the new year. More polishing up. I know it will be stop and go: gung ho to face the world in the morning, and convinced the world’s gone to pot by nightfall. But, by the grace of God, there’ll be progress. This, too, will be un bel apprentissage.

---

FRENCH VOCABULARY
Jean-Marc recorded today’s sound file from Cape Town, South Africa. Can you hear the exotic bird at the end of the recording?

dévaler les escaliers = to rush down the stairs
la chaussette = sock
merci = thank you
bien trouvé = good catch
la lettre cachée = the hidden letter
je vais positiver = I’m going to stay positive
le périple = journey / long trip
les USA = the United States
l’aidante (f) = caregiver
l’infirmière = nurse
la visite à domicile = home visit
personne n’est parfait = nobody is perfect
commettre des erreurs = to make mistakes
l’essentiel = the essential thing
se corriger = to correct oneself
un bel apprentissage = a beautiful learning experience
c’est vrai = it’s true
tout le monde = everyone

EDITS WELCOME
If you spot a typo, mistake, or ambiguity, thank you for letting me know at Kristin.espinasse@gmail.com

REMERCIEMENTS
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Love, care, and reader support—that’s what has sustained this journal for nearly 25 years. Week after week, and now with the help of my daughter Jackie, we continue sharing French words, culture, and everyday life with readers around the world. If you look forward to these letters and would like to help keep French Word-A-Day going, please consider making a contribution.

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JEAN-MARC’S BILINGUAL UPDATE…

Bonjour et bonne année à tous.

Pour la troisième année consécutive, je m’apprête aujourd’hui à partir dans l’hémisphère Sud afin de combiner trois semaines d’aventures à vélo et sept semaines de vinifications dans un vignoble.

En Nouvelle-Zélande (île du Sud, 2024), j’ai découvert des paysages aussi beaux que variés, allant de la forêt exotique aux glaciers du mont Cook. J’y ai également dégusté de très grands vins, notamment en Chardonnay et en Riesling, pouvant largement concurrencer les meilleurs vins du « vieux monde ».

En Patagonie chilienne, j’ai découvert une nature à l’état pur, où lacs, rivières et glaciers sont tous plus somptueux les uns que les autres. S’en est suivi un séjour en Argentine, de l’autre côté des Andes, pour une nouvelle découverte de vins authentiques, issus de raisins cultivés à 1 000 mètres d’altitude.

Dans quelques minutes, je vais partir pour Le Cap, en Afrique du Sud. Avec mon ami Bernard, nous allons effectuer une boucle d’environ 800 km autour du Cap. Nous resterons ensuite quelques jours dans cette ville afin d’explorer le cap de Bonne-Espérance.

Puis Bernard rentrera en France, tandis que je rejoindrai un magnifique vignoble pour y travailler, sur le terroir de Franschhoek.

Vous pouvez suivre nos aventures ici :

https://www.instagram.com/bikandwine?igsh=MXhoN3hsMHJsbTVhNA==

IN ENGLISH
Hello and Happy New Year to all.

For the third year in a row, I am today preparing to leave for the Southern Hemisphere in order to combine three weeks of cycling adventures and seven weeks of winemaking in a vineyard.

In New Zealand (South Island, 2024), I discovered landscapes as beautiful as they were varied, ranging from exotic rainforests to the glaciers of Mount Cook. I also tasted some truly great wines, particularly Chardonnay and Riesling, which could easily rival the best wines of the “old world”.

In Chilean Patagonia, I discovered nature in its purest form, where lakes, rivers, and glaciers are all more magnificent than the next. This was followed by a stay in Argentina, on the other side of the Andes, for another discovery of authentic wines made from grapes grown at 1,000 meters altitude.

In a few minutes, I’m leaving for Cape Town, South Africa. My friend Bernard and I will be doing a loop of about 800 km around the city. We’ll then stay a few days in Cape Town to explore the Cape of Good Hope.

Then Bernard will return to France, while I will join a magnificent vineyard to work in the Franschhoek terroir.

You can follow our adventures here:

https://www.instagram.com/bikandwine?igsh=MXhoN3hsMHJsbTVhNA==

In the video above, Jean-Marc takes one last swim in the Mediterranean on New Year’s Day before leaving for South Africa. (If you’re reading this via email, please click through to today’s post—using the link at the top of the email—and scroll to the end to view the video.)

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