“At the time of speaking to you about the festivities of the Christmas holidays, I would have liked to share with you the growing excitement of celebrating the Nativity on the other side of the world, at 50° South, in the middle of the southern lands . To underline my enthusiasm to experience this celebration in such a unique and original way. Have fun telling you about my most beautiful multi-colored checkered suit, hastily put on and proudly displayed to the albatrosses on the deck of my boat.
But there is one thing that the sea distills to the soul in an immutable way, and that is its implacable authenticity. At sea, you can neither cheat nor lie. The sea attracts you to the purest authenticity of the heart, with what it harbors that is most exhilarating and delicious. And the most abject and detestable thing it camouflages. And, if I am completely sincere, I must admit that my heart has not been in the mood for a few hours. An unfortunate “barometric pass” came to entangle me and stop my progress towards Cape Horn, where all my playmates escaped to head east!
A small lump in the lower abdomen
Christmas will therefore be celebrated in slow motion. And eminently alone. And it's not only in the sluggish waters (Editor's note: windless zone) that I am stuck because my brain is running in a loop and is struggling to enjoy this calm time so much hoped for when the violent winds were tossing Théophile, my boat, and me , in the Indian Ocean. I ruminate, I replay the match in my head, moping at the lead that my competitors in front are taking, and the inevitable catching up of my pursuers. That never-ending feeling of serving myself as a perfectly stuffed Christmas turkey!
But the greatest exasperation is not really having lost these few places because that is the game of the regatta. It's because I feel this discreet shame of not being able to fully savor the chance to be here, at this precise moment. I have this little lump in my lower stomach that saddens each maneuver, each lapping of the sea on my carbon hull, each flight of the albatrosses or this whale tail seen during a DIY session on the deck .
So, see behind this multicolored costume the immense and honest rainbow palette of emotions that I am exploring on this world tour. The excitement, the elation, the anger, the frustration, the humiliation, the sadness, the newfound joy, the nervous laughter, the deliverance, the love of the game, the melancholy and, above all, the incredible deep desire to feel close to my loved ones. All the ingredients for a worthy Christmas meal, ultimately.
Live in the moment
Like this Vendée Globe, life is imperfect, sometimes unfair, but this great global regatta reminds me every minute of these words whispered in my ear: “The only thing you can control is your way of interpreting events. If you start from the idea that it is not the things that make us suffer, but the judgment we have on them, then you can aspire to take control of your life. Otherwise, you are condemned to shooting flies with a. cannon.”
It is characteristic of human beings to perpetually desire a situation other than the one available to them. But, without a shadow in the picture, I am just a vulgar silhouette plastered on a planisphere. The greatest courage is to be happy despite everything. For several hours, I have been fumbling sometimes, but the best gift of Christmas is that I can freely decide the meaning to give to the things that happen. This is my one and only resource. So, this Christmas will be lived in the present moment, with the hope that this promise does not fall asleep at dawn, under the tree.
The lack of mine
This little maritime mishap makes the lack of my loved ones resonate even more in me. I viscerally feel the immense need to be together. You can't imagine how much I dream of a simple family or friendly moment, of feeling this human warmth filling the room, hearing laughter spreading from the living room next door, listening to fiery debates around a delicious table. decorated. And maybe just not talking, observing, being there and simply nourishing myself in the moment. Rejoice in imperfection: an overcooked turkey, a complex blended family, someone absent around the table, a family debate, the tears of a child, a little nagging sadness to welcome… Maybe it's here where the magic of Christmas lies.
So, to all those who have the immense privilege of being surrounded by them, I urge you to savor each little moment of sharing as an absolute gift. To all those for whom Christmas sometimes seems like a foggy horizon, like a moment of solitude, I am taking you into my square to celebrate together the imperfection of life. I wish you to live this Christmas fully, intensely!
