So I suspected visiting the Anne Frank house would be inspiring. It greatly exceeded my already high expectations. To walk over the wooden floors and look at the plastered walls and hear the story of an amazing young woman and her brave friends was an experience I wasn’t prepared for.
Both my grandpas fought in World War II. I now get why grandpa Adolf, who was too old to be drafted, volunteered and fought in Europe. I understand better why the Norwegian immigrant proudly flew his American flag when it was sunny and took it down when it was rainy or dark. Hitler’s Germany was as cruel as cruel gets.
The story of Anne Frank is a story of love. The love of a few Dutch people who risked everything for a Jewish family. It is a story of courage. The courage of a family to not give up or quit even though quitting would have been the easy thing to do. It is a story of hope. The girl never lost hope. It was her hope she would one day be an author. Years after her death in a concentration camp, her dream would come true. Her book has been treasured for decades and will only increase in popularity in generations to come. David hasn’t learned about her in school yet, but the nine-year-old wants to read the book.
Kierkegaard once wrote: The tyrant dies and his rule is over, the martyr dies and his rule begins. In the case of Adolf Hitler and Anne Frank–it would not be possible to be more correct.
Here are some of Anne Franks most loved quotations:
- How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.
- Think of all the beauty still left around you and be happy.
- I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.
- No one has ever become poor by giving.
- Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.
- I don’t think of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.
- Look at how a single candle can both defy and define the darkness.
- Whoever is happy will make others happy.
- In the long run, the sharpest weapon of all is a kind and gentle spirit.
- Where there’s hope, there’s life. It fills us with fresh courage and makes us strong again.
- I don’t want to have lived in vain like most people. I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death!
- Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness.
- Memories mean more to me than dresses.
The little sign outside the Anne Frank house.
