Dear Diary
There was an animated flipping of the pages. I was thrilled. The world-famous diary, now published in more than 60 different languages and is in several lists of the top books of the twentieth century, has arrived at the HUB office. I picked it up and immediately read the synopsis at the back cover. After so many years of wishing to read the book, I finally set my eyes on it.
So, I brought her home—Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl. It took me two days to finish reading it and one week to digest each lesson presented. After a perusal of the book, I started to distinguish what ideas are best to be used, what to eliminate and what to value most.
As I went on page-by-pages during those reading time, I laughed, smiled, sympathized, cried, and learned. Anne Frank’s life is slightly a bit like mine when I was at her age but the rest of her short-lived life was different and noteworthy than that of my own.
Anne Frank started to write the diary when she was 13 years old as she and her family had to hide in the attic of an old office in Amsterdam in order to avoid being sent to a concentration camp by the Nazis. They hid for two years with the ever-present threat of discovery and death hanging over their head. An incurable chatterbox and someone who loves the outdoors, Anne finds their situation quite of a challenge. So she turns to “Kitty”, the name she gave to her diary, to pour out all her thoughts. Addressing her diary, Anne writes, “I hope I shall be able to confide in you completely, as I have never been able to do in anyone before, and I hope that you will be a great support and comfort to me.”
Reading her diary entries, I saw Anne evolved right before my eyes. At first, she was jolly, later sad and stoic, then elated, in love, troubled, disappointed, lastly, hopeful. Anne is able to maintain a positive attitude in spite of her family’s situation. She writes “I thank you, God, for all that is good and dear and beautiful…I don’t think then of all the misery, but of the beauty that still remains.” She goes on,” I have often been downcast, but never in despair; I regard our hiding as a dangerous adventure, romantic and interesting at the same time.”
Romantic indeed is the special relationship Anne shared with a boy who is two years her senior. They were closed off from the real world but love opened Anne’s heart. Peter, 16, lives in the same building as that of Anne and he grew fond of Anne because of her cheerfulness. Anne feels the same way towards Peter as she muses “I have the feeling that Peter and I share a secret. If he looks at me with those eyes that laugh and wink, then it’s just as if a little goes on inside me. I hope it will remain like this and that we may have many, many more glorious times together!”
With plenty of time on her hands, Anne ruminated on a lot of things, among them, how to be happy. She writes, “We all live with the object of being happy; our lives are all different and yet the same. We all have reason to hope for much happiness, but … we must earn it for ourselves. And that is never easy. You must work and do good, not be lazy and gamble, if you wish to earn happiness.” She was persistent in trying to develop herself as evident in her love for studying and reading. She has lofty goals and had written the following… “If God lets me live, I shall not remain insignificant, I shall work in the world and for mankind!”
Like most teenagers though, Anne had a contentious relationship with her mother. But she adored her father and her sister. The advice that stuck with Anne was given by her father who told her, “All children must look after their own upbringing…Parents can only give good advice or put them in the right paths, but the final forming of a person’s character lies in their own hands.” From there, I have learned that parents are only guides and decisions lie on the choices children will make.
As I put Anne back to the bookshelf in the office, I became appreciative of those eyes and immaculate face with a charming smile. I realized that Anne may not have lived long but her words had become an immortal voice among the many murmurs and whispers silenced during the Holocaust. The Nazis may have able to cut short the days of Anne should have but they were not able to stop her words to ring forever in the hearts of men who have read her story.
Anne Frank, your face lingers and leaves an imprint in my mind. You make me want to have my own diary and write my musings about life. I admire your courage and indomitable spirit because despite of what you have experienced, still, you believe that people are really good at heart.♥
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Merdolyn Canda
02/14/2011
T'was during 2011 English Days celebration. I happen to be the president of the club and facilitator of different events of the 3-day affair.
