The other day, my eldest asked me what Edith Piaf was singing about in Non, je ne regrette rien.

I told him: “Well, in life, shit happens. It’s how you deal with it that matters. Good things happen and they pass. Bad things happen and they pass, too. Her song is about looking forward. Focusing on the future.”

I told my kid I liked the same sentiment in Frank Sinatra’s That’s Life. I played the song and sang along:

“I’ve been up and down and over and out,
And I know one thing—
Each time I find myself flat on my face,
I pick myself up and get back in the race.”

We played a video on TV of Piaf singing her iconic song and I translated each verse for the kids. It’s been settled, swept away, forgotten. Je repars à zéro!

Shit happens. It’s OK to be sad and down. But once you’ve learnt the lesson, get your ass in gear and go out for a win.