The Choice to be free

This summer I travelled to the United States together with my colleagues Klaartje van Gasteren and Jakob van Wielink. After reading ‘The Choice’ we had decided that we wanted to meet the author of this important, interesting and impactful book, Dr. Edith Eger.

We went to her house in San Diego and we met this incredibly warm, generous, powerful and vulnerable woman who touched my heart. Her presence, her look and the questions that she asked me about my life, my work, my wife and sons struck my soul.

To me the absolute highlight of our visit to Edith Eger was the moment we walked to her favorite restaurant to have lunch. We got out of the car and automatically and without saying a word she took my hand and we walked hand in hand to the restaurant. To me it felt unreal. This woman, who survived the absolute horror auf Auschwitz, took me by the hand. The same hand that saw, felt and held all the things she describes in her book, is holding mine. She connects herself to me, touching my heart and soul, passing along her spirit and giving me an assignment: be an inspiration to the world in my own way.

We were lucky to be able to make recordings and movie clips in which she shares with the world what we can do to find purpose in life by making the choices that are necessary to live a fulfilled life.