Some people say that we are here on this earth to learn life’s lessons. If we don’t learn our lesson we are doomed to repeat this life until we get it right. Claire LaCocque I think was one of the few that had already learned her lessons and I think she was put on this earth to teach us!

I’ve only known Claire and Andre for a few years even though they have been coming to our restaurant for years as they live next door to our hotel. I have for years felt like the late child they adopted. Only I think they took me only because they liked my wife more and I was part of the package.

As I said Claire was here to teach us by my observations. I wasn’t to suprised to learn that as a profession  she had been a teacher. To me it was obvious. But even though she taught french in a school that wasn’t what she taught in reality.

When I saw Claire all I saw was what I called “Pure Love.” I don’t care who you were, thats what she exuded. She also seemed to be selfless. If you were next to her she made you feel imortant, wanted, cared for, loved. All of this came from this pettite frail little woman despite the fact that the last few years she suffered greatly with the fraility of her body that medicine and doctors couldn’t seem to cure.

All that I have written so far was what I had in my head prior to the funeral. What I learned at the funeral blew me away even more. This woman who was from Belgium as a young child was caught up in the middle of the war. Despite the German occupation and the constant threat of being shipped off to a concentration camp her heart grew strong and love was within this special being. She did lose family, friends and her childhood during the war. She somehow became a woman who saw only goodness in everyone and she brought it out with everyone she met as far as I could tell in my few short years of knowing her and Andre.

After having met them I was feeling that they were always watching over me. They literally were, from their condo perched higher up next door in the high rise that towered over our hotel. I’d like to think that she’s just has a higher seat now because she’s looking after Andre and all of us now.