Francisco Javier Lerin Diaz
Mexico City, Mexico
MY MOTHER’S GREATEST GIFT
The specific moment when I decided to become a Jew was when my mom died, even though her belief was far away from Judaism. She left me the most beautiful present that she could ever give me. She died on Yom Kippur and told me, “Choose the truth. Choose the path of life. Don’t waste your time.” So that left me the most beautiful, the most beautiful moment and the most beautiful homework.
Before I became an Orthodox Jew, I was a corporate executive. I have known richness from a world that offers a world with no rules. And the benefits that that kind of life can offer, like, cars, fine cars, fine ways of living, vacations. But what always had returned me to balance was thinking about my grandfather and the example of the life of my mom who always made me question if what I was living, the richness that I was living, was the true sense of my life.
Daniel’s Reflection
Javier Lerin’s mother gave him a great gift on her deathbed when she encouraged him to “Choose the truth. Choose the path of life.” He soon after converted to Orthodox Judaism. I was deeply moved to meet Javier in Mexico City and to hear about his life in business where he had all of the material gifts of that life. But it was his mother who made him question whether the life he was leading was truly “rich.” It takes a deep conviction and a lot of courage to convert to a new religion. I honor Javier Lerin and his journey of following his heart to find his real richness in life.
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