Hello everyone! A very warm welcome to you all! The video I have chosen for this post is the clip of an interview that was done two years ago with the then 108 year old Alice Herz-Sommer. The title of this clip is actually the title of today's post! "Choose to be Optimistic."
For those of you who may already be aware, Alice Herz-Sommer died yesterday at the amazing age of 110. I find her to be a lovely lady, full of love and kindness, and very optimistic. Just a little background on this lady for those who may not know. Alice Herz-Sommer was one of the fewer than 10,000 survivors of the Auschwitz Concentration Camp of WWII, along with her son.
I was deeply moved by this video and listening to this beautiful lady talk about her life and how she chose to be optimistic in spite of all the struggles she suffered. For those of you who wish to learn a little more about this lady, here is a link. Alice Herz-Sommer
My father was a prisoner of war in WWII and, even though he never spoke to either my mother or I about what he endured, I know that he suffered much. Nonetheless, he managed to forgive his captors and remain positive. This post is meant to be encouraging and I hope that you will all see this and be touched by it in some way!
The photo I am sharing today is one that I took last summer. I loved the different colours here! You just need to click on the image to see a larger view.
Thank you all so much for visiting me here! I always appreciate and enjoy reading your kind thoughts, which you are always welcome to share.
Wow this is so incredibly inspiring!! We can learn so much from people like Ms. Herz-Sommer and people like your father. Thank you for sharing, Linda.
ReplyDeleteWow. That is what you have to do is choose to. Love the flowers.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful flowers!
ReplyDeleteYour dad must have been a pretty special guy to be able to forgive his captors.
Thank you for this wonderful post !
ReplyDeleteI love it ღ !!!!
❀ ✿ ❁ Beautiful flowers ❀ ✿ ❁
Have a nice day dear Linda !!!
Greetings !!!
I read of her passing in the morning papers. Fewer and fewer survivors of that horrendous evil still around. What an extraordinary human being.
ReplyDeleteOne truly remarkable, unforgettable lady, her piano talents saved her and her son's lives, she speaks no ill, and is so gentle in all her ways, Bright flowers so suit your blog today. Fond greetings, Jean.
ReplyDeleteShe was a wonderful lady! Thank you for sharing Linda and also telling us what your father went through. HUGS!!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo. Yes, I too try to be optimistic as much as possible. It makes life much easier and I find people who are optimists are much more pleasant to be around.
ReplyDeleteThe interview was most interesting, especially in light of this woman's history. The interviewer didn't sound quite convinced that one could choose to look on the bright side, though. The photo is lovely, and for the very reason you mentioned: the beautiful colors.
ReplyDeleteit's fortunate she got to live a long life after that. Imagine being a survivor of one of (if not the) worst tragedies in human history and only living a few years afterwards.
ReplyDelete...oui...j'ai entendu cette nouvelle à la télé....toute une vie pour cette dame...âge très honorable...!
ReplyDeletehave a good day.....
ly xxx
Amazing.....people are truly amazing!!
ReplyDeleteFabulous!!!!
ReplyDeleteI just read an article about her today and was so impressed with the life she lived after going through such horrible experiences. Thank you for sharing this and reminding us of the importance of being optimistic, of carrying on.
ReplyDeletetruly amazing and such an inspirational lady thanxs for sharing linda x
Deletethanxs for this truly amazing video what an inspirational and brave lady my dad was also a prisoner of war got caught at Dunkirk and spent almost 6 years in stalag had very bad nightmares all his life but never spoke about his sufferings like your dad
ReplyDeleteHyvä artikkeli Hän oli hämmästyttävä ihminen kesti kaikki vaikean elämän.
ReplyDeleteMe ihmiset kaikki pitäisi ottaa oppia hänestä.
Kiitos Linda jakamisesta meille :)
Wow - what an inspiration! She lived a long and happy life, despite the horrors she experienced. I'm amazed at the human spirit sometimes. Thanks for the video, sometimes we need things like this to shake us up and get a better perspective. :)
ReplyDeleteA very optimistic woman enjoying life, despite the bad old times in the past.
ReplyDeletePretty flowers.
the stories of the people who survived the atrocities of WWII are inspirational. thank you for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteIndeed a touching video Linda, terrible what happened in Auschwitz.
ReplyDeleteSin duda una actitud optimista ante la vida puede colaborar a que vivamos más tiempo y, en todo caso, a que vivamos mejor. Un abrazo,
ReplyDeleteMay she RIP. What a lovely optimistic women.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I have been told not many soldiers told of their troubles during the war.
I had not heard that she had passed away, I have seen her interviewed several times, she was a fascinating inspirational woman.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the link and clip. I've read several articles about her recently. Stay warm, spring is coming.
ReplyDeleteHi Linda! I did hear about the death of this gracious lady on the news last night. Isn't it amazing what people carry through their lives? And how we can be so cruel to each other. Your Dad and Alice know this first hand, but never turned to spite or hate. What a movement of God's grace!
ReplyDeleteAgain, I love to see those flowers. It's just too cold here again today!
Happy Tuesday :)
Ceil
C'est un très beau message l'optimisme, on en a besoin pour apprécier les bonheurs de la vie, et combattre les difficultés rencontrées.
ReplyDeleteLa photo est très belle.
merci Linda
je l'ai appris dans le journal..
ReplyDeleteune dame qui mérite le respect de tout le monde
have a nice day
ps: it is a pity that sometimes the submit button does not work
thank you anyway
What an inspiration she is. A wonderful lady. I agree that we choose to be happy and optimistic.
ReplyDeleteYour father sounds to be quite a man himself. Thanks for sharing.
Always a treat to hear the words of those who have lived so long. Thanks for sharing Alice Herz-Sommer with us.
ReplyDeleteNice homage, Linda.
ReplyDeleteLie(f)s.
Such a wonderful and optimistic women
ReplyDeleteGreetings
Un beau billet, merci! Bisous tout doux et bonne journée!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful lady, I have been reading lots about her, someone truly to inspire and learn from, thanks for sharing this Linda :-)
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed listening to this video...I believe it is also choice...I will have to follow up on her. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDelete