Modern Family at a Crossroads

In the past, the family represented a fundamental foundation, a tangible and meaningful reality. Today this notion has changed and takes on a more formal character, often limited to a simple administrative or symbolic connection. The very meaning of family has eroded, and the distances between its members tend to grow over time.

Nowadays, each individual shapes their life around their own circle of friends and professional relationships. Even parents operate in environments that remain unknown to their children. They invest their time and energy in service clubs, where they hold important positions such as secretary, treasurer, vice-president, or president. Friendships formed during travels or stemming from previous professional relationships become pillars of their social lives. These new circles permeate their daily lives and profoundly influence the way they think and envision the future.

When it comes to children, each one grows up in a distinct universe, shaped by different values, beliefs, and goals. Their life choices are so different that it now seems impossible to see them move forward together. This diversity is a wealth for their own development but also a key reason why they gradually drift away from their once beloved parents, no longer identifying with or feeling comfortable in the family environment where they grew up together.

In the face of this evolution, the family does not disappear but is constantly being redefined, incorporating new models and new forms of relationships. Blended families, single-parent families, or chosen families testify to this adaptability to contemporary realities. This plurality of family structures reflects the increasing individualization of life paths and the desire of each person to create tailor-made relationships based on affinity and shared values rather than solely on biological or legal ties. Nevertheless, this transformation also raises questions about the ability of a generation to maintain intergenerational dialogue and preserve certain reference points. The family becomes a shifting space, where traditions and innovations coexist, inviting everyone to rethink their role and place within this ever-changing collective.

    A forgotten Family Photo

                                                      Pierre, Frieda and Anne-Marie

 This old family photo becomes like a window into a world that still breathes behind the paper

Finding an old family photo is like opening a door to a world that now exists only in memory. The image, a bit faded, a bit gray, seems to breathe still. One can recognize familiar faces, simple gestures, a way of being together that tells more than thousand words. Every detail becomes a clue: summer light, a period piece of clothing, a smile that hasn't changed. You can imagine the voices, the laughter, the conversations interrupted by the click of the camera. Ans suddenly, the past feels close. It is no longer just a photograph, but a fragment of life that comes back to the surface.

These recovered images remind us where we come from, what we have been through, and the quiet tenderness of ordinary moments. They are open windows onto time, silent witnesses that continue to watch over us, even when those depicted in them have long since left the frame. It was one of those bright summers in Knokke, on Albert Beach, where time seemed to stretch gently. There were the three of us: my brother, my sister and I, gathered as always by the sea. Dad true to himself, held his Rolleiflex ready to capture every moment, as if he already knew that these images become treasures.

My brother, already intrigued by the young women in bathing suits passing by laughing, cast curious glances around him. My sister, on the other hand, proudly sad atop a car inner tube- the fashionable flotation device of the time. She called me, inviting me to come sit with her on the tire. I hesitated the water was cold, too cold for me. But she insisted, gently pulling me, almost laughing, and eventually gave in. We mist have been in the summer of 1947 or so. A simple time, when everything still seemed possible, when the sea, the sun, and the presence of loved ones were enough to fill an entire day.

 

Shared Sorrow, Admiration, Tenderness and Love

When from shared sorrow, one moves from admiration to affection to tenderness, to gratitude to trust, it can end in a profound love, which sometimes fades due to lack of light and space.

Caught in a persistent depression since my children turned their backs on me, I vainly tried to find a kindred spirit who could console my tears or simply lend me a hand. On a social network, I was quickly "caught" by another soul in distress, desperately seeking to escape a vicious downward circle. enduring the harsh blows dealt by their loved ones. A dialogue quickly forms, and within a few days, our understanding becomes optimal. We support each other, and miraculously, we manage to get out of the hell in which we were stuck without realizing it.

There are encounters that do not start with the heart but with shared negative feelings and the concern to help at all costs through encouraging dialogue. We observe someone's reactions, without particular intention, and something in them stops us. A way of speaking, intelligence, quiet strength, and moral elegance. Admiration often arises there, in that first silent movement where we recognize in the other qualities we deeply respect. First, it is only a light. We admire as we contemplate a landscape, with distance, with gratitude, without feeling involved. But admiration has a subtile power. It opens the door. It creates a passage between what we see and what we feel. Then comes the shift, almost imperceptible. The other ceases to be merely remarkable; they become important. We find ourselves thinking about them, waiting for a message, a sign, a presence.

Emotional attachment settles in like a new breath. It is not yet love, but it already carries promise. It is a fragile territory, where one discovers that they care for someone even before understanding why. And one day, quietly, attachment turns into love. Not a spectacular love, but a love that has been built deeply stone by stone. A love born of admiration, nourished by trust, and strengthened by tenderness. A love that does not seek to possess but to acknowledge. A love that is not demanding but welcoming. This journey—admiration, attachment, love—tells as much about the other person as it does about us. It reveals what we value, what we hope for, and what we are willing to give. It shows us that love is not a lightning strike but sometimes a slow rise toward the light.

To love, ultimately, is to let admiration become a presence and a presence become self-evident until attachment is irreversible.

 

Misunderstandings in text messages

Text messages are a bit like tiny emotional grenades that we joyfully throw at each other all day long. Its a universal phenomenon that turns our conversations into misunderstandings worthy of a sitcom. Its convenient, modern...and full of traps. A message sent too quickly, another read sideways, and suddenly, everyone starts to interpret, imagine, and invent disaster scenarios. The problem is not the text. Its everything it doesn't have.

A text message is three words without tone, without eye contact, without a smile. No raised eyebrows, no little laugh, not even a sigh. The brain hates emptiness, so it makes something up. And it makes it badly. Very badly. The message says one thing, the reader another, and the responder comes up with a third version. We ended up in trilogy. 

An " Okay" becomes a declaration of war. An endpoint turns into an agressive passive threat. A lack of response is experienced as a betrayal. And a " we'll talk about it later3 sounds like an attempt to escape through a window. The nuances disappear, automatic correctors get involved, and suddenly a banal message becomes a masterpiece of absurdity. Texting is theatre without a set, without costumes, without rehearsals. We guess more than we understand, we interpret more tan we read, and we get angry over sentences that never existed.

Texting is the greatest sociological experiment of our time. My children, my grandchildren, our friends, our relatives...no one escapes it. A misplaced word, a badly chosen emoji, and it's off to an international diplomatic crisis. All this for an "OK" sent between two red lights. Its like asking a blind person to paint a realistic portrait: he will try, but the result may be surprising.

The text message is naked as a worm. So, everyone knits it an emotional sweater based on their current mood. And then there's the autocorrect, that little prankster that turns Till come see you into  Till come see you die. We wanted to sent a cute message but end up with a psychological thriller. Then we wonder why we get " Uh...everything okay at your place". Real communication takes time, patience and sometimes a good phone call. When a text starts to be a Chinese puzzle, its better to pick up the phone. The voice conveys what written words forget, and at least, we avoid starting a world war over single period.

Pandemics: a challenge for humanity 

The rapid growth of the world’s population has brought major challenges, among which pandemics occupy a central place. While they have always shaped human history, the Covid‑19 crisis revealed with unprecedented clarity how global mobility and interconnected societies accelerate the spread of infectious diseases.

Throughout history, several pandemics have left a profound mark:

• The Black Death (1346–1353), which killed tens of millions.

• The Spanish Flu (1918–1920) infected a third of the global population.

• Smallpox, eradicated thanks to worldwide vaccination.

• Covid‑19, whose global impact continues today.

Pandemics act as natural regulators in many species, and Covid‑19 similarly disrupted human societies. It affected every sector—economy, education, health—and exposed weaknesses in global preparedness. The crisis also highlighted issues such as unreliable data, strict containment policies, and uneven vaccination coverage, particularly in China.

In Europe, scientific breakthroughs offered rapid solutions. Researchers Katalin Karikó and Drew Weissman developed the mRNA technology that enabled Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca to produce effective vaccines at scale, complementing traditional attenuated virus methods.

Yet new threats continue to emerge. The tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), introduced into Europe through international travel and trade, now spreads diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Highly adaptable and difficult to control, it represents a growing public health concern. Current strategies include insecticide campaigns and releasing sterilized or bacteria-infected males to reduce reproduction while researchers work on new vaccines.

Pandemics and emerging diseases remind us that global health remains fragile and deeply interconnected with human activity, mobility, and environmental change.

 The Exponential Growth of the World's Population

In 1850, the world's population numbered just over three billion. A century later, in 1950, it had reached four billion. This growth was seen as a major achievement, celebrating the victory against disease, the reduction of premature deaths, and medical advances that made it possible to correct defects and improve both the length and quality of life. Yet, at that time, the negative repercussions went almost unnoticed: the suppression of natural selection was corrupting our genetic heritage. It was understood that rapid population growth would follow an exponential curve, potentially one day crossing a critical threshold, comparable to an atomic explosion.

In just 72 years, this number has doubled, reaching eight billion today. Humanity now faces the challenge of managing this growth to ensure access to essential resources—food, drinking water, hygiene, clean air, housing, clothing, medicine, and healthcare—for all living beings, whether plant, animal, or human, on our single planet. Calls to adopt a more responsible lifestyle, to recycle more, and to consume in moderation are numerous; however, they are only truly implemented by a minority, whereas this change should concern the majority. It is regrettable that we have tried to transform "primitive" peoples living in harmony with their natural environment: today, most have disappeared, having forgotten their ability to survive in self-sufficiency without depending on the polluting tools of modernity.

Some argue that the major difficulties—famines, epidemics, declining male fertility, pollution, increased mortality due to climate change, floods, and other natural disasters—will eventually balance themselves out. The Earth has already weathered many crises and managed to recover each time. Unfortunately, it is usually disasters that trigger individual or collective action to address them.

Faced with these challenges, it is crucial to analyze the dynamics of human expansion in order to understand their consequences and identify solutions. Whether it involves innovative urban planning, responsible resource management, or educational approaches, humanity's adaptation must go hand in hand with its transformations. In a context of rapid change, every decision, personal or collective, influences the future of our world and those who inhabit it.

Over the centuries, the world's population has grown exponentially. Here are some key facts illustrating this evolution:

• In 1800, the world's population was estimated at between 813 million and 1.125 billion.

• In 1900, it reached approximately 1.55 to 1.76 billion.

• In 2000, the figure rose to nearly 6.1 billion.

• In November 2022, the 8 billion mark was surpassed.

• According to United Nations projections, the world population could reach approximately 9.7 billion in 2050 and nearly 11 billion in 2100.

• Also in 2022, the continental distribution indicated that Asia accounted for approximately 55.6% of the population, sub-Saharan Africa 14.5%, and Europe and North America 14.1%.

 

DUBAI and its remarkable transformation

Dubai fascine par son allure futuriste et son énergie permanente. En quelques décennies, cette ancienne ville de pêcheurs de perles s’est métamorphosée en une mégapole de 3,5 millions d’habitants, symbole de modernité et d’audace architecturale.

Fondée au XVIIIᵉ siècle, longtemps modeste et isolée, Dubaï a véritablement changé de dimension à partir de la seconde moitié du XXᵉ siècle, jusqu’à devenir l’un des moteurs de la fédération des Émirats arabes unis. Aujourd’hui, elle n’est pas la capitale officielle du pays, mais elle en est incontestablement la vitrine internationale.

La ville est mondialement connue pour ses projets spectaculaires : le Burj Al Arab, les Palm Islands, le World, Dubai Marina ou encore le Burj Khalifa, plus haute tour du monde. Ces réalisations ont fait de Dubaï un pôle majeur du tourisme de luxe, des affaires et du commerce.

Le développement urbain s’étend le long du Khor Dubai et de Sheikh Zayed Road, bordée de centaines de gratte‑ciel reliant les quartiers résidentiels aux grandes attractions comme Ski Dubai, Dubai Mall ou les immenses parcs à thème. La ville mêle ainsi traditions, avec le quartier historique de Deira, et innovations architecturales audacieuses.

Dubai offre une expérience unique : hôtels somptueux, centres commerciaux gigantesques, îles artificielles, mosquées élégantes comme Jumeirah Mosque, parcs aquatiques impressionnants tels qu’Aquaventure, et spectacles grandioses comme la Dubai Fountain.

Sa population a explosé en quelques décennies, passant de 265 000 habitants en 1980 à près de 3 millions en 2018. Pour accompagner cette croissance, la ville investit massivement dans les infrastructures, les transports modernes et des projets durables comme les bâtiments à énergie positive.

Comme d’autres villes en pleine expansion, Dubaï illustre la puissance de la transformation urbaine contemporaine. Comparer son évolution à celle de Hammamet permet de mieux comprendre comment les sociétés façonnent leur territoire selon leurs ambitions, leurs ressources et leur vision de l’avenir.