The Remedy
“The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy, is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quite alone with the heavens, nature and God.” Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl.
Anne Frank lived in hiding in a cramped secret upstairs annex of an office building for more than two years with her parents, sister and four other Jewish people, Hermann and Auguste van Pels, their son Peter, and Fritz Pfeffer. The building, was owned by Otto Frank’s company and the entrance to the dark, damp hiding place was concealed by a bookcase. The remedy is a powerful statement written in Anne’s diary when she and eight other people could never venture outside. A small window in the attic where she could see a chestnut tree was her only chance of getting fresh air. Anne was fifteen when her family was discovered and sent to Auschwitz death camp and later to Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where she died weeks before British soldiers liberated the camp.
Today we give thanks for the life of Miep Gies, one of Mr. Frank’s employees who helped his family in hiding and later retrieved Anne’s diary. Otto was the only member to survive and received the diary from Miep on returning to Amsterdam after the liberation.
Every day I know I take Anne’s remedy, the world outside my window, for granted. I am putting Anne’s picture on my desk in hopes of honoring her short life and its spiritual truth.
Joanna joannaseibert.com