At the end of August 2011 while they were in Québec, Céline and several members of her family (Clément, Paul, Pauline, Liette, Michel, Jacques, Claudette and their mother Thérèse) visited the Maison Adhémar-Dion, a palliative care center that was named after Adhémar Dion, Céline’s father.
They visited the house and spoke about the reason why it was named after Adhémar, how he died in his wife’s arms and about how each of them believes that taking care of their parents and family is so important. During this very touching interview, Céline spoke and made all of her sisters and brothers cry… The Red Heads have translated her speech for you.
You can watch the video here:
TRANSLATION (starting from 9 min 24)
« I think… You are all absolutely right, because… I think it’s a, it’s a responsibility for all of us, being fortunate, being healthy, it’s our own responsibility to make a difference, to get implied, to take care of the people who have loved us, to take care of the people we love.
You know, it’s easy to say ‘we are going to put grandma here, we are going to put mommy there, we are going to put my aunt here…’ It’s a pity, and it’s true it’s not about money, it should not be a matter of money… The base, family, love, what we have received, what we must give…
To take care of these people, I think it’s a responsibility but it’s also a big present, when you have the chance to give hand, to somebody, to accompany somebody to heaven, it’s a big present, it’s a big present for us, not for the person who’s… Going to leave… This traveller…
It’s a present for us, which is given to us in fact, the person here, saying, ‘take my hand, take me there’, it’s like a child you know, having to cross the street, you give him the hand to show him the path, and when a person is suffering, an old person, who is suffering, who lost his head, you have to hold his hand and I must say : it is as if you were receiving a present, and it puts you in contact with Gods.
When my mother took my father’s hand, mommy said ‘I am allowing you to go’… He was fine, he left being fine, as he felt he was held, loved, and with her words he thought ‘my wife will be ok, so will be my children, I can make this journey’ and I think it’s important to feel you are fine, you are held, and that they are not going to be alone.
So It’s responsibility as a child, as a parent, as a member of the family, and you don’t think you are doing something good : THEY are giving us a present. »
