My poor homeland

The proud Lion King

This democratic asylum land, through its spirit and culture, attracts people from all over the world. It's true that we enjoy benefits that seem obvious to us: relative peace, a fairly strong economy, and the freedom to live according to our beliefs, to practice our religion, and to preserve our customs, our language, and our culture, which is not always the case for immigrants in their countries of origin. We also have the freedom to travel, study, and work in other countries practically without restrictions. Border controls have almost been eliminated in the Schengen area, following the agreement signed in 1985 in this Luxembourgish city. With your European passport or a valid European ID card, you can move around in the 27 Schengen states. This is an advantage for cross-border workers, as in 2022 around 1.5 million people lived in one Schengen country and worked in another. As for students, they can enjoy an incredible array of rights to travel, study (Erasmus exchange), and enhance their intellectual and cultural knowledge. No other place in the world grants them such privileges.

Youth are suddenly claiming rights that we, the elders, didn’t even dare to conceive or defend in the streets, even though most of this generation grew up in a relative stability of peace, security, education, and culture. Aware of the danger of advancing technology and the increasingly prominent role of artificial intelligence, which decides our futures as human beings without feelings, I share their concerns. Indeed, Europe finds itself caught up in the ultra-rapid development of China, India, the Americas, and other developing countries, which threatens its peace, politics, economy, and development. The future is uncertain socially, economically, financially, and climatically.

Everyone has the right to express their concerns, stand up for their beliefs, and make their demands heard, but always with respect for the rights of others. Disagreement has its place in a democratic society: it helps highlight integration challenges and opens a debate on how to address them.

But violence, vandalism, theft, and intimidation cannot stand in for dialogue. They sadden local communities. There’s no need for destruction to express anger, disagreement, or distress! Destroying remnants of the past to convey your wishes is criminal behaviour. It puts people in danger, undermines trust, wrecks the economy, and diverts attention from issues that deserve to be discussed calmly, without revenge for the historical past of the countries involved. Colonisation had its benefits as well as its harms, but current generations cannot be held responsible. That’s the past—let’s live in the future.

In the face of these acts of unprecedented violence on European soil, it is important to distinguish between the behaviours and the claims expressed by young people, without attributing to this group the responsibility for a few malicious individuals bent on destabilising and destroying the culture, education, and knowledge that have been passed down for millennia in a country. Listening means trying to understand the difficulties without giving up the common rules established by law. Peace, freedom of conscience, and respect for human dignity are precious achievements that we must preserve. Ensuring they are respected must go hand in hand with protecting everyone's rights, proportionate sanctions, and fair treatment. In daily life, this responsibility translates into favouring discussion over wild and destructive confrontation.

Institutions, associations, and citizens can help keep space for dialogue where problems are shared and solutions are discussed calmly, thoughtfully, respectfully, and politely. Cohesion doesn’t erase differences, but it allows everyone to live within a shared framework. By combining fairness, dialogue, and prevention, we can protect our freedoms while building trust that makes living peacefully together possible.

 
                              Drawing with Chinese ink by Amarie 2019

                                Watercolour by Amarie 2013

Living alone and feeling good

Living alone doesn’t necessarily mean feeling lonely. For people who live in harmony, it’s a choice that allows them to live in their own space, without trying to please others. They learn to manage daily life on their own and to trust themselves, without refusing help when offered. Their home is a place of rest where they enjoy reading, pursuing hobbies, and thinking about their projects. They prefer a few close friends and sincere conversations over large groups. They stay present for their loved ones while keeping time for themselves and avoiding unnecessary conflicts. Quiet helps them better understand their emotions and release tension. So it’s not about rejecting others but about finding a balance between personal life and friendships chosen sparingly.

 

Dying of Sadness

All my life, one question has haunted me: why did both of my grandfather die of cardiomyopathy? I long tried to understand, in vain. To figure it out, I had to trace back the chain of events that had inexorably led them to this tragic outcome, even though they were in good health and not old.

My maternal grandfather had lost his lands following the bankruptcy of his eldest son's soap factory in Zelzate. My grandmother Ida had acted as guarantor for this beloved son, dragging the whole family into deep financial and emotional upheaval. I don’t know the details of the matter, but it undoubtedly shook the bonds between brothers and sisters, spouses, and grandchildren. Suddenly, everything had taken a dark turn, creating a toxic atmosphere that would weigh on the family for years. One image, however, remains: that of my grandfather watching his lands being sold, tears in his eyes and heartbroken.

My paternal grandfather's story is quite different, but it is just as marked by loss. He had seen his mother leave for America with three of her children, leaving him alone with the youngest son, then fifteen years old. During the preparations for Léonard's wedding, his brother decided in turn to join their mother. He boarded the Vaderland for its maiden voyage, a slow crossing, out of caution and to ensure the steam engines were properly started. Then mournings followed one after another: my grandfather lost his wife in childbirth after losing four young children. His heart weakened by so many trials; he seemed no longer able to bear another shock. He then married the children's governess, who also died shortly afterward. His heart weakened by so many trials; he seemed no longer able to withstand another shock. He then married the children’s governess, who also died shortly afterward. And as a final twist of fate, one day he read in the newspaper that his best friend had won a pigeon racing prize with his homing pigeon. The emotion was so strong that he died in his armchair, the newspaper still in his hand.

“Dying of sadness” is therefore not just a metaphor. A violent emotional shock can really put a life in danger. No one is completely safe: grief, a breakup, betrayal, intense sorrow, strong anger, sudden fear, or even immense joy can upset the body. But what exactly happens between the brain and the This condition goes by several names: stress cardiomyopathy, broken heart syndrome, or takotsubo, according to the Japanese term. Unlike a typical heart attack, it isn’t caused by a coronary artery being blocked by a clot or plaque. The mechanism is more like a real hormonal storm: under intense emotional or physical stress, the body suddenly releases a massive amount of adrenaline and noradrenaline. These catecholamines overwhelm the heart muscle, which can no longer pump effectively. This can then lead to acute heart failure, potentially deadly arrhythmias, or even cardiac arrest.

The line between emotion and physical health is therefore incredibly thin. As we age, it seems to get even thinner, reminding us that the heart is never completely separate from what we go through, from heart muscle for extreme emotion to be able to mimic a heart attack.