The Jesse Lewis Choose Love Movement hosted its monthly Choose Love Book Club on the evening of Wednesday, January 26. Nearly 50 people attended the virtual event that this month showcased From Sandy Hook to the World: How The Choose Love Movement Transforms Lives.

The book was written by Sandy Hook resident Scarlett Lewis, who founded the movement after her 6-year-old son, Jesse, was killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 14, 2012.

Lewis started off the meeting saying, “Thank you so much for coming! It’s so good to see you all.”

She shared that many people joining the discussion actually contributed to the book. She went as far as to humbly say that From Sandy Hook to the World: How The Choose Love Movement Transforms Lives is not solely her book, but everyone’s story.

Lewis also gave a special shout-out to Pamela Brown, who edited the book and was cohosting the event. Lewis praised Brown for her work and said that she could never have created the book without her.

The Choose Love Book Club also had a special guest attending the meeting whose input contributed to the book and movement behind the scenes.

“This is my mom, Maureen Lewis. The book would not have happened without you either,” Lewis said to her mom, who was sitting next to her. She thanked her mom for all her support and encouragement throughout the years.

For those new to the Choose Love Book Club, Lewis explained that the foundation of the movement is based around “choosing love” and having a “different way of thinking.”

She added, “It’s all about our personal power and creating that within us through our choices. Every day when we get up, we get to make choices. From the moment we open our eyes we make a choice for how we are going to greet the day.”

The Choose Love Movement’s message comes with the resources to access tools and build skills, so people from all backgrounds and experiences can accomplish choosing love.

Live Testimonials

Lewis then invited anyone on the call who wished to share their experiences with the book and the movement to continue the dialogue.

Shannon Desilets, from the Choose Love Movement in New Hampshire, voiced, “I just want to say it was such an exciting and wonderful adventure with Scarlett on this book and working with everyone here … it was a group effort, and it really tells Scarlett’s story on how she created the movement. It’s amazing what she accomplished.”

She added that she was privileged to have worked on it and thanked everyone for their contributions.

Dr Chris Kukk, a board of directors member for the Choose Love Movement and a former military intelligence officer, described his journey meeting Lewis and joining the movement.

“I know Jesse has inspired me, and Jesse is at work through all The Brady Bunch images I see on my screen,” he said, referencing the stacked square tiles of people’s smiling faces on Zoom that everyone logged into the meeting could see.

The next person to speak was First Lady of New Hampshire Valerie Sununu, who also contributed to the book.

“The Choose Love Movement was an answer to a prayer I didn’t know that I had. When I look back, there was this thread weaving us together before we knew that we would come together,” she said.

Sununu told everyone how she was an elementary school special education teacher trained to do triage for disaster preparedness. Not only that, but she also is a mother with children the same age as Jesse and wanted to share messages of compassion to people to make a positive difference.

“I needed solutions that are preventative … It just feels like there is no other choice than to choose love,” she said.

Person after person shared moving testimonials about how meeting Lewis and being part of the Choose Love Movement has changed their life in profound ways.

JoAnn Mitchell, one of the first administrators to incorporate the Choose Love program at her charter schools in New Mexico, even said, “Scarlett is a bright light in the world.”

Attendees at the book club were joining from around the world, including Canada, Hawaii, New Hampshire, as well as Connecticut.

The conversation was casual and reminiscent of good friends who were brought together at a reunion.

“I feel like it’s a Choose Love party,” Lewis summarized at one point.

There were also members of the public at the book club who spoke up about how impactful the movement and book were to them. One person even said she now wants to become an ambassador for the initiative to share the movement in her area.

Towards the end of the meeting, Lewis said, “Everyone on here is a gift from Jesse,” and “I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for joining.”

Upcoming Books

The virtual monthly Choose Love Book Club is free to attend, and all are welcome to take part in each month’s programs.

The next book will be The Lighthouse Effect: How Ordinary People Can Have an Extraordinary Impact in the World by Steve Pemberton. That program is scheduled for Wednesday, February 23, from 7 to 8 pm via Zoom.

The author says the book “is intended to take you on that journey of discovery about your own life and the power your life has to impact and touch another.”

Pemberton will be joining the book club live to share his personal experiences and discuss the book.

Then, on Wednesday, March 30, again at 7 pm, the Choose Love Book Club will cover Once a Shooter: Redemption of a High School Gunman by T.J. Stevens with John Driver.

Registration can be done at chooselovemovement.org/choose-love-book-club.

For those interested in purchasing From Sandy Hook to the World: How The Choose Love Movement Transforms Lives, it is available for purchase through Amazon and the Choose Love Movement website.

Reporter Alissa Silber can be reached at alissa@thebee.com.