In this episode, I share the deeply inspiring experiences from my recent trip to Paris with my 14-year-old son. What started as an eighth-grade graduation gift became a profound journey through living history, exploring three iconic sites that offered unexpected lessons about resilience, courage, and the power of individual choice. From the newly restored Notre Dame Cathedral rising magnificently from the ashes of its 2019 fire, to standing at the Arc de Triomphe where my son experienced a powerful moment of historical realization, to walking the medieval labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral (the birthplace of the modern labyrinth movement) each experience left me with renewed hope and inspiration.
The common thread woven through these visits became clear: the extraordinary difference one person can make when they choose to act with courage and conviction. I explore two remarkable World War II stories (Colonel Welborn Barton Griffith Jr., who risked court-martial to save Chartres Cathedral from Allied bombing, and German General Dietrich von Choltitz, who defied Hitler’s direct order to destroy Paris. These acts of moral courage, separated by just weeks in 1944, saved irreplaceable cultural treasures and countless lives. As we navigate uncertain times in the US, these stories remind us that history can turn on the decision of a single person choosing their highest self.
In this episode, we cover:
- The breathtaking restoration of Notre Dame Cathedral and what it means to rise from the ashes together
- My son’s powerful moment of historical realization at the Arc de Triomphe
- Walking the sacred medieval labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral and its connection to Lauren Artress and the modern labyrinth movement
- Colonel Welborn Barton Griffith Jr.’s courageous decision to save Chartres Cathedral from Allied bombing in August 1944
- General Dietrich von Choltitz’s refusal to follow Hitler’s order to destroy Paris
- How individual acts of moral courage can change the trajectory of history for millions
- Finding hope and inspiration in stories of people who chose beauty and humanity over orders and expectations
Resources:
- Jumpstart Your Joy website: jumpstartyourjoy.com
- Email: jumpstartyourjoy @ gmail.com
- Instagram: @jumpstartyourjoy
- Notre Dame Cathedral documentary on NBC
- Cobblestone Paris apartment rentals
- Lauren Artress interviews about Veriditas and the labyrinth movement
Keywords: Paris travel, Notre Dame Cathedral, Arc de Triomphe, Chartres Cathedral, medieval labyrinth, Lauren Artress, Veriditas, World War II history, Colonel Welborn Barton Griffith Jr, General Dietrich von Choltitz, liberation of Paris, labyrinth walking, Grace Cathedral, AIDS epidemic, French history, Nazi occupation, Allied liberation, individual impact, choosing your highest self