Open Heart

I had the privilege to listen to Elie Wiesel as the keynote speaker at my son’s University Graduation. Imagine an audience of 8,000 or so, students and parents, crammed armpit to armpit in the blazing sun of a hot St. Louis high-noon. A distinguished man makes his way to the podium after being introduced, within seconds of pleasantries the audience is mesmerized. In the sea of humanity, the only sound is of this gentleman’s clear voice and perhaps the accidental chatter of a few squirrels. Who knew then that one month hence this story would start for him?

This introspection of his open-heart surgery is at times intense, often moving and always insightful. For a man who has witnessed so much, his optimism in fellow man is unbounded: he urges us to grasp “every moment is a new beginning” and “… go on minute to minute.” The description of he and his son will especially pull at your heart. He urgent and continual plea is for us to battle against indifference and resignation and to "not sit idly by."

This is a must read book because of its simple truths. After all, simple truths are what speak to us most. Those truths help us understand and reach for goals that inspire and guide or moral compass. I very much recommend this exceptionally short listen. It will appeal widely to those who have a lot of mileage on their souls regardless of which religion you embrace. For those of us you have faced death and struggled back, it is especially moving.