The Diary of Anne Frank

So in our branch last Sunday it was announced that on the 27th of March there is going to be a book club meeting at Kristie's house. Kristie is my visiting teaching companion and her roommate is in charge of it. The book up for discussion is The Diary of Anne Frank. It has been forever since I've read it and I know I have because it was required when I was in high school, maybe even before I don't remember. Anyway, I decided to buy it yesterday and haven't been able to put it down since. I read every chance I get. What amazes me about Anne Frank is her attitude about her life and the changes she and her family are forced to make. Laws were passed that made it so Jews weren't allowed out after 8:00 PM, they had to turn in their bicycles and they weren't allowed to drive, which meant their only form of transportation was the ferry. They could only shop in stores that had the "Jewish Shop" sign out front. If they got called up by the Nazi's and refused to go they were arrested and treated badly in ways that are just unthinkable.

Tonight I was in the backyard reading just because it is so peaceful out there. Mom and dad bought a swing, a very, very comfortable swing. Dad put in some red bricks over most of the backyard, making it way more accessible and fun for me. I don't think I've ever spent so much time out there as I do now. We have Tiki Torches now and when everything is lit just right it looks so neat! So grams and I were outside and she was rocking in the swing and wanted me to read out loud. The part that has hit me the hardest so far is when Anne wrote that she was fortunate to be where she was and she felt awful that she had a bed to sleep in when most everyone she knew was being hauled to camps in heaven knows where. It's a real eye opener for me. Here's this girl with her family in hiding, another family, and one other person with them. She went from living in a nice house and being with her friends leading this carefree life to being shut up in what she calls a "secret annex" where you can hardly turn around without being in someone's way. Grams told me she actually got to take a tour of the annex and she couldn't even turn around. She was just baffled by how small it is, like how in the world could eight people live here? I mean, insane, right? Anyway, here's Anne dealing with all this junk, but she feels fortunate about it and wishes she could help others dealing with the same thing who aren't so blessed. I just put the book down and thought for a few minutes. I mean, here I am in this beautiful, peaceful backyard where I'm free to do whatever within reason. Nobody's gonna come and tell me that because I'm Mormon I'm not allowed to be seen out. Nobody's gonna force me to wear a CTR ring like Jews were forced to wear the star of David so people could tell what faith they are. Now I love my CTR ring and I would never take it off, I love what it stands for, I'm just making a point. No one is gonna use that symbol against me the way the star of David was used against the Jews. We live in an amazing world, guys. The United States of America is awesome and we are privileged to live in this country. Another part of this story that hit me is the way Anne describes what it was like hearing planes with bombs right over their heads as well as machine gun fire. We are in the middle of a war right now but we are safe from it in many ways. Yes, we do see and feel the affects of it, but we are not smack dab in the middle of it. We have SO MUCH to be thankful for. Reading this again has just really opened my eyes and I guess what it's done is make me more tolerant of people and their faith. No, I'm not jewish, I don't believe like they do...but that doesn't mean I wanna see horrible, awful things happen to them just because of their faith. And I feel the same way about other faiths, to each his own. I'm just glad we live in a place that, for the most part, allows us to have our beliefs and opinions.

GOD BLESS THE USA!