Family: Where Our Story Begins

By Cici

There are seasons for creating… and there are seasons for living.

Over the last few months, I’ve admittedly been quieter than usual here at Bella Creole Life. I’ve looked at my camera roll more than once and thought, I really need to post that.

Then another incredible experience would happen.

Another family gathering.

Another pilgrimage.

Another conversation with an elder.

Another story I didn’t want to forget.

Before I knew it, I had hundreds of photos, pages of notes, voice recordings, and enough stories for months of blogs and podcasts.

The truth is… I’ve been busy living the very life this project was created to celebrate.

Bella Creole Life was never meant to be just another food page or travel blog.

It was born out of a desire to preserve the stories, faith, food, family traditions, and history of Louisiana Creoles before they disappear. Somewhere along the way, I realized I couldn’t just tell those stories from behind a computer screen—I had to keep going out into the world to experience them myself.

And what a season it has been.

This spring took me across Italy on a pilgrimage with my mom, my aunt, my uncle, and our dear friend Mr. John. Together we prayed in Assisi, Loreto, Monte Cassino, Monte Sant’Angelo, San Giovanni Rotondo, Pompeii, Rome, and so many sacred places I had dreamed of visiting for years.

We celebrated Mass at the tombs of saints who have inspired me for decades.

We stood before the humble resting place of Pope Francis.

We attended a General Audience with Pope Leo XIV—the first American pope, and a pope whose Creole ancestry makes that moment even more meaningful to me.

Along the way, I also carried Blessed Father Seelos with me through Italy, sharing his story and inviting others to discover the humble Redemptorist priest whose life continues to inspire so many in Louisiana and beyond.

Back home, the journey didn’t stop.

I attended the beautiful celebration of Our Mother of Perpetual Help with New Orleans’ Filipino community—a reminder that the traditions we cherish as Creoles often echo across cultures. Different languages. Different histories. The same deep roots of faith, family, food, and celebration.

I spent time at St. Joseph Abbey with the Benedictine monks on the Northshore.

Visited the peaceful grounds of St. Helena Catholic Church in Amite.

Then, over the Fourth of July weekend, I flew to Chicago for the Cane River Creoles Family Reunion. There is something incredibly powerful about standing in a room full of people connected by history, by ancestry, and by a shared commitment to making sure those stories continue long after we’re gone.

Those moments reminded me why Bella Creole Life exists.

And yes… somewhere in between all of that, I still have the 9-to-5 that keeps the lights on. Bella Creole Life has always been a labor of love, squeezed into evenings, weekends, airports, and late nights after work. I know many of you understand exactly what that feels like.

One of the greatest blessings during this busy season has been watching my nephews, Ian and Drew, step into this mission with me. Seeing the next generation not only learn about their Creole heritage but become storytellers themselves has been one of the proudest moments of this entire journey. They remind me that preservation isn’t just about looking backward—it’s about equipping those who come next.

And we’re just getting started.

In the coming months, you’ll see all of these stories shared through blogs, reels, podcasts, and photo essays.

You’ll come with us through Italy.

You’ll meet remarkable people whose lives shaped Creole history.

You’ll hear family recipes and family stories.

You’ll explore churches, festivals, cemeteries, and communities that continue to keep our culture alive.

And perhaps the adventure I’m most excited about…

I’m beginning the journey to trace another branch of my family’s story—back to Canada.

Many Louisiana Creole families have roots that extend far beyond Louisiana, and I’ll be documenting my research as I work to establish Canadian citizenship through ancestry. I’ll share the genealogy, historical records, surprises, and lessons I learn along the way in hopes that it encourages others to begin tracing their own family stories.

Because that’s really what Bella Creole Life has always been about.

Not simply preserving the past.

But discovering who we are because of it.

Thank you for staying with me, even when life pulled me away from posting.

Thank you for cheering on Ian and Drew as they carry this mission forward.

Thank you for believing that our stories matter.

There is so much more to come.

We’re just turning the page to the next chapter.

With gratitude,

Cici