La vie en slow
We are a compassionate collective focused on reducing the silence & stigma around suicide & mental health through storytelling, photography & slow living.

La Vie En Slow is a slow-living-for-mental-wellbeing journal in tribute to our dear friend Antoine, who battled with depression & mental illness before taking his own life. Mental health disorders are the number one cause of disability worldwide, surpassing all other illnesses. We hope our story will encourage you to adopt a slower pace of life, one that allows you to do less, invite more rest, & prioritize your wellbeing.
Mental health is health.






Hi, I'm Thuy
I’m smiling in this photo but my heart is broken. My dearest friend, Antoine, has taken his life. I remain grief stricken. In the early days, getting out of bed was all I could manage. I paused from work and sought help from grief counselors, bereavement groups, wine and weed. The greatest support came from my husband, Will, and my daughter’s French bulldog. Tasked with walking her daily was the only reason I left my apartment. Today, a year and a half later, I’ve accepted grief as part of my life. Its unpredictability has become familiar. I make room for it. Sit with it. I know that to heal I must let myself feel, even as I’m seized by a deeper sorrow. The second year of mourning comes with the painful realization that no further memories will be made, so we pour our love for him into this project. La Vie En Slow began as a collaboration with Antoine about slow living. Now more than ever, a slow approach to life is essential for the sake of our mental wellbeing. I hope our story will encourage you to prioritize your mental wellness, to normalize conversations and to support those struggling with mental illness.
Salut, je suis William
Il y a un avant, celui sur les photos qui immortalisent les moments passés avec toi, les sourires, l’insouciance, l’éternité. Et puis il y a l’après, après ce jour de Novembre qui marque un tournant dans notre vie. Nous ne sommes pas préparé à faire face au deuil et encore moins au suicide, nous apprenons à vivre avec. Un nouveau chemin se présente alors à nous jalonné de peine et de douleur. Mon cher ami Antoine s’est suicidé et depuis ce jour, je fais face à ma propre tristesse et à celle de ma femme Thuy, qui à elle perdu comme une partie d’elle même. Vivre avec ce chagrin qui va et vient sans prévenir est très compliqué. Comment continuer à apprécier la vie en ton absence? Comment continuer à apprécier le vide que tu nous a laissé? Ces questions tournent en boucle dans nos têtes. Peut être en continuant ce projet initié ensemble, lors de nos échanges et nos voyages. Cette vie en slow qui prône le ralentissement, la contemplation, le contentement prend tout son sens avec ce deuil qui nous encourage à trouver la force et le courage d’avancer sans toi. A prendre le temps de vivre mais aussi celui de guérir de cette disparition soudaine et brutale avec amour et gratitude. Le deuil prend du temps, il faut le bercer, en faire un allié, un ami car il nous accompagne désormais dans notre quotidien. Nous remercions ce temps précieux que nous pouvons nous octroyer pour honorer ta mémoire et partager avec ceux qui comme nous traversent ou seront amenés à traverser ce chemin. Mais aussi à parler du suicide et de santé mentale qui sont encore des sujets tabou dans nos sociétés et qui empêchent la guérison des endeuillés.

antoine BLONDIN-tessier
BRINGER OF LIGHT

AUG. 7, 1973 – OCT. 31, 2023
FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS
In his own words, Antoine wanted to be an angel of strength, a bringer of light to all he loved. How fitting, because as an electrician, he literally brought light into our homes – dimmers and all! Proper lighting is essential, he would contend. Our master electrician was also a rock we could lean on, the one who shows up and comes through giving true meaning to a friend in need is a friend indeed. Being of service to others was his love language. Making us laugh, too! Antoine was infamous for his corny jokes, though the punchline was often lost in translation (being French speaking and all). He joked I lacked the sophistication to grasp his high level humor. What a goof! We adore his generous heart, his youthful spirit, his joie de vivre. Ironically, one so full of life can also be full of darkness. Like many who die by suicide, Antoine also struggled with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideations. On the night of October 31, 2023, having recently celebrated his 50th birthday with us, Antoine extinguished his earthly flame. He is survived by his father, his brother, and all he touched with his shining light. He is forever my angel of strength, my bringer of light.
~Thuy
The Power of Shared Stories
More than 50,000 people died by suicide in the US in 2023. That’s one death every eleven minutes. Males represent 80% of this number. On October 31st our dear friend, Antoine Tessier, was counted among them. Like many who take their own lives, Antoine did not want to die. He just wanted the pain to end. But in that ending a crippling grief descended upon us. In our search for understanding, we realized our reluctance to speak openly with Antoine about his mental health problem was due to the stigma around it. In the aftermath of his death we learned that suicide bereavement carries its own stigma. We hope our story will better equip you to support your loved ones facing mental health struggles. This is more than a story about mental health and suicide loss. It is also a story about Antoine’s everlasting light, and how it is shining a light on the silence and stigma around mental health.










San Miguel de Allende, Mexico – December 2020