(Image from Anne Frank House)
Anne Frank has been an inspiration to me for years. I have returned to journaling several times throughout my life—many times upon recollection of her diary. This evening, I reflected once again as I heard about the “Anne Frank Tree” falling as a result of an evening storm.
I am encouraged to once again pick up one of my several copies—most desirable is my copy of “the critical edition”—of her diary. I remember the tree and how it was a symbol of comfort and strength. It was to Anne what her diary has become to me.
Her diary speaks to me about war and the effect of war. I thought about it downrange as I passed the children in Baghdad—what have they experienced? I would ask myself. It speaks to me about personal strength as some would now call resilience to push her way through that terrible time until her capture and subsequent death.
The diary also speaks to me about the blessings to be gained from simply writing—a counseling tool I recommend frequently to people experiencing stress.