TODAY’S WORD: S’épanouir = to flourish / to thrive / to blossom

PRONUNCIATION: [seh – pa – noo – eer]

EXAMPLE SENTENCE
Il s’épanouit dans son travail. 
He thrives in his work

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Learning to Flourish by Jacqueline Espinasse

Back at the vineyard in Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes, Max and I were in middle school. Once the hot days were over, Dad no longer needed our petites mains for the harvest and our petits pieds to crush grapes, and when we weren’t swimming in the river with Braise and Smokey, there wasn’t much left to do. So in winter, we spent our weekends and evenings playing a game on the computer. The goal was simple: make your character as powerful as possible. You started by creating a character, choosing its powers, name, gender, and colors.

Every character began at level zero and could grow all the way to level 200. To get there, you had to earn money by working as a baker, farmer, welder, etcetera and fighting other players. With that money, you could buy stronger equipment, objects that increased your power, and clothes that made you look better. The higher your level became, the harder it was to reach the next one.

Max could stay with the same character from beginning to end. I never could. I would create one, play until around level 30, then quit because I got bored of the colors, stopped liking the name I gave it, or simply wanted to try something new and start again from zero.

Today, I realized the way we played that game reflected who we would later become. One of us stayed committed to a single path and built strong roots, while the other became a traveler, strolling in search of meaning, restarting each time the character began to feel uncomfortable, or boring. You can probably guess who became who.

It has been the same pattern for almost twenty years now: starting, then quitting before life settles into routine. I’ve always been afraid of staying still for too long. I want to see everything, try everything, become everything at once. But there are too many options. Can life be simpler? Or should we choose less and find fulfillment within it?

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Dear Reader,

To introduce more French vocabulary into our lives, we thought it would be fun to include a Reverse Dictionary at the end of Jackie’s entries. Along with words taken directly from the story, you may also find a few thematic expressions that reflect its mood or meaning.

We hope you enjoy this new addition, and as always, your feedback is appreciated.

REVERSE DICTIONARY

little hands = les petites mains (f)
little feet = les petits pieds (m)
roots = les racines (f)
traveler = le voyageur / la voyageuse
to settle down = se poser
restlessness = l’agitation (f)
to restart = recommencer
meaning = le sens
path = le chemin
to become bored = se lasser
fulfillment = l’épanouissement (m)

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

REMERCIEMENTS
Thank you to the following readers for your donation this past week to this journal!

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