1.) A quote from someone that has stuck with you.
Yesterday I talked about reading The Fault In Our Stars and there was one part of the book that I thought was really interesting. The two main characters, Hazel and Augustus, visit the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam and describe an interview with Anne’s father Otto Frank that is played on a TV as you walk through the house.
He talked about his reaction to Anne’s diary and there was a quote that struck me. Otto Frank said, “I must say, I was very much surprised by the deep thoughts Anne had….it was quite a different Anne I had known as my daughter. She never really showed this kind of inner feeling. And my conclusion is, since I had been in very good terms with Anne, that most parents don’t know really their children.”
I knew I was supposed to be paying attention to the love story unfolding between Hazel and Augustus, but I had never heard Otto Frank speak of Anne’s diary before. It’s crazy to me that at one point I felt so connected to Anne, reading her diary around the same age she was when she wrote it. But here I find myself for the first time relating as a parent.
I’ve been struggling all year to figure out what’s going on in the head of my tween. I’ve always prided myself for knowing her better than anyone. She’s mine. I’ve raised her. I can tell you exactly what her intentions are and I’ll be the first to tell you she’s too shy to speak up for herself. I’ve spent nearly every day of her life with her. I know her completely.
But when I read those words from Otto Frank my mind skipped to that smile I saw my daughter flash her best friend as they both bowed their heads and giggled in response to something I said. An inside joke. I know that flash. I have those girlfriends too.
It has clicked. Otto Frank is right. I only know the version of her she wants to show me.
(video here)
The Prompts:
1.) A quote from someone that has stuck with you.
2.) List 13 things you love about vacation.
3.) Public speaking.
4.) Something you got away with.
5.) If your family were dogs, what breed would each of them be?