I spent my entire childhood in Riedseltz, a small town in Alsace, France. I was a rather cute and nice little girl, according to my parents, a serious and shy student…

I spent a lot of time with my grandparents, my grandmother was sweet and very attentive, I remember her unbeatable pasta gratin and her “Dampfnudles” (a type of Alsatian doughnut).

She always wore an apron and had a braid turned and pinned in the shape of a bun. I was very admiring when she did her hair. My grandfather was in a wheelchair, it was not always convenient and very teasing, which often made me cry, but my grandmother was always there to take my side. On her good days, I was entitled to a coin to put in my piggy bank. Once a week, I would look forward to the horn of the little truck that stopped at my home. It was a mobile grocery store, and I was always entitled to chocolates or candy at that time.

On Wednesdays, with the girlfriends, we played with dolls, dressed up my dog and took him for a walk in a stroller, he seemed to enjoy it. With the boys, we played marbles or hopscotch, and we took on the roles of mum and dad (not what you imagine, it was very innocent).

I remember tobogganing in my garden or in the fields with my family. We had snow every winter, which has become very rare nowadays, at least on the plains.

I had a beautiful childhood in a loving and modest family, which I was able to reproduce later with my own children.

I hope to be able to pass on to them the value and importance of family. This is my greatest achievement, and I am proud of it!