French: Péché avoué est à moitié pardonné

Translation: confessed sin is half forgiven

Meaning: [informant] A confessed fault will be judged with more leniency

Context: Informant is of French Canadian decent, born and raised in Montreal Quebec. She came to the US in her mid-twenties, and Quebecois proverbs are central to her upbringing and something she employs in her career as a life coach. This proverb was casually shared with me over lunch with the informant.

Thoughts: Apart for leniency, I took this proverb to sort of provide a roadmap to make amends with someone. For example the first step to making something right is to confess.