[Verse 1] She walks in slow, she's eighty-three, she smells like lavender soap You say *Qu'est-ce qui vous amène* — that's how you open up the door Not "what brings you here today" with textbook grammar, stiff and cold Plain words do more than polished speech — *on va jaser de ce qui pèse* Confidentiality explained like you're talking to your aunt *Ce qu'on se dit reste entre nous* — except when safety's in the balance You lay it out in grade-six French, no jargon, just the truth And she exhales — she wasn't sure that she could trust a room [Chorus] *Si je comprends bien* — you're saying it's been hard *Ce que j'entends c'est* — your words are landing where they are *Ça a dû être dur* — and *c'est correct de se sentir comme ça* Reflect, validate, hold the frame — that's the whole of therapeutic French *Peiné, ébranlé, découragé* — name the weight she carries *À bout, vidé, en maudit* — words that aren't approximate but marry Say the feeling back to her in words she'd use herself That's when she knows she isn't just a folder on a shelf [Verse 2] *Racontez-moi* — and then you wait, you don't rush to fill the air Silence isn't failure, it's the room that she needs there *Qu'est-ce qui s'est passé ensuite* — no inversion, keep it real *À ce moment-là, vous pensiez quoi* — let her tell you what she feels When the tears arrive you don't retreat, you say *prenez votre temps* When the anger spills you hold your ground — *je vous entends, continuez* When she cracks a joke to dodge the grief, you smile but then you stay *On peut rire, et quand même revenir* — humour doesn't have to pay the check [Chorus] *Si je comprends bien* — you're saying it's been hard *Ce que j'entends c'est* — your words are landing where they are *Ça a dû être dur* — and *c'est correct de se sentir comme ça* Reflect, validate, hold the frame — that's the whole of therapeutic French *Peiné, ébranlé, découragé* — name the weight she carries *À bout, vidé, en maudit* — words that aren't approximate but marry Say the feeling back to her in words she'd use herself That's when she knows she isn't just a folder on a shelf [Bridge] Anxiety's not *anxiété cognitivement médiée* It's *votre corps qui sonne l'alarme parce qu'il essaie de vous protéger* Depression isn't *affect plat et anhédonie* It's *comme si la couleur était partie de tout ce que vous voyez* You restructure thought without that word — *y a-t-il une autre façon de voir ça* Behavioural activation — *une petite marche, juste jusqu'au coin* Reminiscence, life review — *parlez-moi de vos années à la shop* And when you miss a word, she corrects you — thank her, let her lead the crop
← Module 4 — The French of elderly Quebecers (10 h) | Module 6 — The generation you serve: history, memory and the French–English ques →