Thursday, January 21, 2010

Difficult start

Quote ~ I was born to a woman I never knew and raised by another who took in orphans. I do not know my background, my lineage, my biological or cultural heritage. But when I meet someone new, I treat them with respect.... For after all, they could be my people.

James Michener, Author

Edith Piaf

She was named Édith after the British nurse Edith Cavell, who was executed for helping French soldiers escape from German captivity. Piaf colloquialism for sparrow was a nickname she would receive 20 years later.

Her mother, Annetta Giovanna Maillard was of French-Italian descent on her father's side and of Moroccan origin on her mother's. She worked as a café singer under the name Line Marsa.

Louis-Alphonse Gassion Édith's father was a street acrobat with a past in the theatre. Édith's parents soon abandoned her, and she lived for a short time with her maternal grandmother. Edith’s father took her to his mother, who ran a brothel in Normandy. And there the prostitutes helped look after Piaf. From the age of three untill seven she was blind.

How lucky I am, look at my beautiful morning.


Most of us are lucky to have had a fairly normal childhood. These last few day the news reports are full of the frightening scenes in Haiti, some of those children who have survived this disaster will never have a real childhood again.

The word effrayant means terrifying, scarey.

The word sinistre means a big catastrophe

6 comments:

LadyFi said...

You're right - so many kids live in terrible conditions... My heart goes out to them.

Great photo!

Ken Devine said...

I learned something there about Piaf Blu. I think I'd like to read more about her. She's one of the few singers who make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. We also have a few similar experiences...not the prostitutes I hasten to add.

That really is a beautiful sunrise. I certainly didn't wake up this morning to anything like that.

Yes, we are very, very lucky.

French Fancy... said...

We take so much for granted until something like this comes along and we watch this terrible footage and give a million thanks that - due to pure random chance - we are safe in our homes in Europe

Carol said...

I love Piaf but don't know much about her...like Ken, I think I would like to know more...very interesting upbringing. Do you know what caused her sight to come back?

Beautiful photo too...yes, we should definitely thank our lucky stars for our lot in life...there are always people going through a hell of a lot worse!!

C x

Unknown said...

Everyone can be my people, and everyone is. Family ties are not the only thing that connect us, so everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

My heart goes out the to people of Haiti, but as for most of us being lucky enough to have a normal childhood, normal isn't as normal as we'd all like to think.

Lydia Martindale said...

Hello for the first time
A beautiful and thought provoking post. Childhood is so precious and any stories of broken and robbed childhoods break my heart.

Lydia