Life lessons: Dr. Edie

One of the great joys of my life is volunteering for TEDxSanDiego. And getting to work with people like this lovely woman is a big reason I have already signed on for the 2013 event.

We heard about Dr. Edie from someone who had seen her speak; I was dispatched to meet her and learn more about her story. I made the winding drive up Mount Soledad, past million-dollar homes overlooking the tony community of La Jolla. She greeted me in her airy gold-and-glass home like a long-lost friend.She made me tea, and had baked me a classic Hungarian coffeecake. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I was gluten-free and vegan. It was delicious.

Throw a dart at any fact in Dr. Edie’s story of survival and it’s incredible. What I took away from her is the astonishing capacity humans have to forgive. As a 16-year-old, she was required to dance for Dr. Josef Mengele, who had sent her mother to the gas chamber in front of her eyes. Yet somehow, she was able to see that the Nazis were more in prison than was she.

This was an especially important message for me, as I’ve had to forgive some pretty heavy stuff in my life. I also have two loved ones in my life who are carrying anger, and I pray every day that they will let that burden down.

I hope Dr. Edie’s message of hope and forgiveness lightens your day.