Today, I want to introduce you to my dear friend Scarlett Lewis.
Scarlett tragically lost her 6-year-old son Jesse on December 14, 2012. Jesse was one of the 20 first-graders and 6 adults who lost their lives in the Sandy Hook Elementary mass shooting that took place in my hometown of Newton, CT that day ten years ago.
Today, on the 10th anniversary of this tragic event, I’m feeling called to remember Jesse, all the other victims, and everyone impacted by such a heartbreaking loss.
And more than that, I also want to give us all an opportunity to take action in a meaningful way so that we can continue to work towards building a safer, more loving world together.
I had the privilege of meeting Jesse’s mother, Scarlett, a few days after the shooting. I joined her in her home, and we Tapped together. To this day, Scarlett still credits Tapping as one of the keys that jumpstarted her healing from this unimaginable trauma.
Soon after losing her son, Scarlett was inspired to find a way to address the root cause of the suffering that leads to these kinds of horrific events. So, she founded the Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement.
The mission of the Choose Love Movement is to offer free, evidence-based, comprehensive social emotional development for schools, homes, and communities. These programs give kids and people of all ages the skills and tools to manage their emotions and address the root cause of their pain before it escalates into violence, mental illness, substance abuse, and more.
As Scarlett has said to me, “We can teach people to hate, and we can teach people to love. So let’s teach people to love.”
Today, Choose Love programming is taught in all 50 states and in over 120 countries, having reached over 3 MILLION children across the globe!
I’ve been so honored to support Scarlett’s work over the past 10 years, and to help her incorporate Tapping into these powerful, transformational programs. Me and my family are complete fans of this organization and all it is doing to make our world a better, more loving place.
If you want to help create a safer and more loving world, then I highly encourage you to click here now so you can learn more about Scarlett’s mission and support this amazing cause.
And before you go, I want to share one final, incredibly touching piece of Jesse and Scarlett’s story.
The basis for this healing work that Scarlett has now grown into a global movement? It all was inspired by a message that 6-year-old Jesse left on the chalkboard in their home before he was killed. His message spelled out three words:
Nurturing
Healing
Love
These three words guided Scarlett down the path that has allowed her to impact so many people in such a powerful way. Today, let’s ALL take those words to heart. Let’s let those words guide us. Let’s all Choose Love today.
Until next time…
Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
P.S. If you want to watch a powerful, moving, one-on-one conversation between myself and Scarlett from way back (taped only a few months after the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting) go here. It’s a conversation that I will always hold near and dear to my heart. Scarlett taught me SO much about forgiveness, healing, and choosing to spread love even in the wake of unimaginable heartbreak.
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