We started the day on a somber note with a visit to the Anne Frank House. Honestly, this probably wasn’t age appropriate for our crew, but it was a must see for me. As a young teenager, I checked out Anne Frank’s diary from the library to read it and re-read. I felt that Anne was a kindred spirit. Separate from her place in history, she and I shared the experience of coming of age.
Gary and his family also have an interesting link with the Anne Frank house. Gary’s mom became interested in the story of Anne Frank as an eighth grade English teacher. She and her class began corresponding by letter with Miep Geis. Miep Geis was one of the Dutch citizens that helped to hide Anne Frank and her family. After corresponding by letter, Gary and his family traveled to Amsterdam to meet Meip Gies. Then, she traveled all the way to our tiny little hometown in Texas to lecture about her experiences. During that time, she was a guest in my in-laws home, and I had the great honor to be treated to an afternoon of informal tea with her. She is a great ordinary hero, and an inspiration to others to find the heroism in themselves.
The Anne Frank museum is housed inside the warehouse where she and her family were hidden during WWII. The tour begins with a walk through the warehouses and then you climb a flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, you come face to face with the bookcase that hides to door to the attic. If you have read the diary or biography of Anne Frank, this is a breathtaking experience, as you know you are going to step into the space where Anne spent her last days of freedom.
Upstairs you are able to tour the annex, which is sparsely furnished. Throughout, there are bits of the diary and quotes in various languages, but mostly the space is empty. The empty space allows for much time to quietly contemplate the inhabitants of the attic. Before our travels, the boys and I had read a children’s biography of Anne Frank and discussed her life. Although their age kept them from understanding the deepest levels of her story, they were somber and silent as they walked through the attic. Somehow, they were able to grasp the gravity of this time period in history.
Walking along the canals afterwards, we had a deep discussion about government and prejudice. We talked about when it is good and right to not follow the laws. The boys were willing to discuss whether they would break the law to hide one of their friends, but mostly they were reticent. Sometimes silence is needed to process complicated information, so we walked the rest of the way in silence.
