Necessary Realness: Celine Dion Springs Forward
Céline Dion knows that her late husband’s heart will go on for their twin boys.
Her long-time partner René Angélil died in 2016 at age 73 following a battle with throat cancer, but the singer is sure that he is still looking out for their three kids.
Céline celebrated their twin sons’ 10th birthday on Friday, Oct. 23, with an emotional Instagram post that promised their dad was “watching over” them.
The 52-year-old wrote, “Nelson and Eddy, you have been bringing so much joy, love and laughter into our lives every single day for the past 10 years.”
She added, “You make me, your big brother and your Dad, who is for sure watching over you, so very proud. Happy birthday my beautiful boys! We love you so very much.”
The fashion icon included their 19-year-old son René-Charles Angelil when she signed the note from “Mom, RC and Dad,” seeing as RC rarely posts on his own account.
Her Instagram gallery featured pictures of the boys playing in fall leaves then and now.
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Nelson et Eddy, vous apportez tellement de joie, d’amour et de rires dans nos vies à chaque jour depuis 10 ans. Votre grand frère et moi, et votre père qui veille sur vous, sommes tellement fiers de vous deux ! Bonne fête mes amours! On vous adore… – Maman, RC et Papa xx… 🐾 Nelson and Eddy, you have been bringing so much joy, love and laughter into our lives every single day for the past 10 years. You make me, your big brother and your Dad, who is for sure watching over you, so very proud. Happy birthday my beautiful boys! We love you so very much… – Mom, RC and Dad xx… 🐾
A post shared by Céline Dion (@celinedion) on
Céline, who married René in 1994, took a leave from her Las Vegas show in August 2014 to take care of René when he became ill. Before he died she told People, “We were living in hope, knowing that there’s no hope. There were times when I was very, very scared and he’d write me ‘The end is near, I feel it.'”
A year after his death, she said it was too soon to consider dating anyone else.
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“He’s the love of my life. It’s very difficult for me to see myself with another person,” Céline said. “We do have emotions and feelings that come and go. And it’s always with him. When I sing, it’s with him. When I hug my kids, it’s for him and it’s with him. I took time to grieve and I’m still grieving.”
In the time that has passed, she has admitted to feeling lonely at times in the absence of her husband. She said, “I miss to be touched, I miss to be hugged, I miss to be told, ‘You’re beautiful.’ I miss what a boyfriend and I miss what a husband would do.”
But her healing has come full circle, as she felt more grounded in 2019, when Céline released her twelfth English album Courage. The five-time Grammy winner also opened up about what she’s learned about loss and love through her family tragedy.
“I feel so powerful and in charge and grounded and happy,” she told Good Morning America. “I think from René giving me so much strength and power and positivity and being in charge even more.”
Another nugget of Céline’s wisdom: “You cannot stop living and go forward.”
