Anne Frank’s Diary

Description

Have you ever felt that yearning desire to make a difference in the world? That desire to change the world for good—to live on after you die? If you have, let me tell you a story about how that desire was fulfilled for one young woman.

Her name was Anne and when she was 13 years-old she went with her father to the store, where she picked out a diary as a birthday present. She took it home and began writing immediately. She named the diary Kitty and said, “I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support.”

And then just three weeks later, Anne and her family were forced into hiding where they would remain in silent terror for the next 571 days. For, you see, Anne was Anne Frank – the young Jewish girl who, with her family, hid from the Nazis in Amsterdam from July 1942 to August 1944.

During her time in darkened solitude, Anne wrote constantly in her diary. It was her only source of comfort. She filled the red-checked diary and numerous loose sheets of paper. She poured out her heart and shared her dreams of a better world and how she wanted to become a journalist and help make it so.

In the Secret Annex as it was called, Anne grew more than five inches in height, but more than that she grew in stature of soul. She aspired to write a book about her experiences in the war that would inspire people to live in love and not hate.

Anne never lived to see her dream realized. On August 4, 1944, their hiding place was betrayed and the Frank family, along with all the others in the annex, were led away to Nazi concentration camps where all but Anne’s father, Otto Frank, died. Anne and her sister Margot died at Bergen-Belsen camp in February 1945. No one knows exactly the date of their death nor exactly where they are buried. It would seem that Anne’s dream faded into darkness.

But the Almighty had a greater plan. As they were forced out of the Secret Annex at gunpoint, Anne’s diary and writings were dumped on the floor and walked over. They were later picked up by Miep Gies, one of the women who had helped the family hide. It was later given to Anne’s father, Otto.

He read his daughter’s diary in profound amazement at the depth of her thoughts and feelings. He read of her passion to publish her writings as a book to tell the real story of the war and decided to honor the dying wish of his daughter. On June 25, 1945, 3,000 copies of The Secret Annex were released. It was soon translated into German, French, and English. Seventy years later, the diary has been translated into as many as 70 languages and more than 30 million copies have been published.

The desire of an intelligent teenage girl to make the world a better place has been profoundly realized in a most unusual way. Out of the dust, Anne Frank has been allowed to speak to all the world.

I have been to the Secret Annex in Amsterdam. It was one of the most sobering places I have ever visited. It will remain with me for the rest of my days. Anne taught us all the deadly scourge of bigotry and hate. She showed all of us that we too can change the world and make it a better place.

Thank you, Anne Frank. I hope someday to meet you.