Yesterday was May 5th — Liberation Day in the Netherlands. We remembered the end of WWII and the liberation from occupation. It’s a powerful reminder of how precious freedom is. Freedom that was once taken… and then courageously reclaimed.

But as I sit with that word — liberation — it feels bigger than one historical moment. It feels timeless. Because while we may live in peace, many still face war—out there, and in here. Some battles are visible. Some are buried so deep, we forget we’re still fighting them.

This theme of freedom runs deep for me.

My parents each came to the Netherlands in search of something freer, more possible. My father in the early ’60s. My mother in the early ’70s when they got married. After Indonesian independence, new space opened up—for movement, opportunity, and choice. They built a life here. And through that, they gave me a foundation of freedom they never fully had themselves. It wasn’t easy. But it was brave.

And now, I see how my journey continues t...