Yesterday I finished reading a book called Sarah's Key, by Tatiana de Rosnay. This book captured the essence of life in France in the 1940s. A time where Jews were persecuted simply for being Jews. The story jumped back and forth between Sarah, a young girl whose family was lost to her during this tragic time, and Julia, a woman in her 40s, so many years later, who was trying to uncover a bit of history.
While the characters were not real, they surely represented the stories of many people who suffered at the hands of those who hated them. Hated them just for what they were born to be. Such tragedy. Such horror. So sad. And yet I truly recommend the book for those interested. It's a fictional story with a strong historical presence. And it brought me back, many, many years ago.
While I never met my grandfather, long before his life changed and he started off on the path to actually BECOME my grandfather, he had another family. A family he lost around that time. What he experienced, I can never imagine. What his family went through, I have no clue. But after reading a story such as this one, I flash back for a moment to remember the man I am named after. The man I never met.
While I never met my grandfather, long before his life changed and he started off on the path to actually BECOME my grandfather, he had another family. A family he lost around that time. What he experienced, I can never imagine. What his family went through, I have no clue. But after reading a story such as this one, I flash back for a moment to remember the man I am named after. The man I never met.
The picture in this post is of my Grandfather, my Father and my Aunt. My ... what a world ago that was. Can you actually miss someone you've never known? I believe so, and I know that I do. Can you miss them in the same way as someone you've only recently lost? Yes, and the same raw emotion can be there. The same sense of loss, sadness. Only without the memories. Sadly, without the memories to go back to. So I need to ask my father for those. I need to ask him to share with me the memories of his dad. My grandfather.
Thanks for taking this trip down some sort of memory lane with me today. I woke up feeling a bit nostalgic, and needed to write about the past, and yet nothing in my own life seemed to suit the way I was feeling, so I decided this would be the way to go. Someday I'll pass this history along to my daughter, so she, too, can always remember.
What a great photo and tribute to them! If you have never read "The Diary of Anne Frank", grab a copy. It really is a great view on what went on back then.
ReplyDeleteAs a girl (and jewish) I must have read it dozens of times. It really is a great book!
That was an awesome post! Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteI like the pictures. Great post.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think you can miss someone you don't know. And you love your grandfather very much. I think it is wonderful you are going to learn from your father or yourself and to share with your daughter. Isn't it amazing how books can just reach into our hearts?
ReplyDeleteI assume you've read the Diary of Anne Frank---hasn't everyone? Wait, I probably shouldn't say that b/c I'm sure there are some jerks out there who haven't. Also, I assume you've read The Book Thief? that was great too and had some similar themes.
ReplyDeleteI definitely think you can miss someone you never met. My great grandmother, whom I called Bubbe, died when I was about 10. I only met her a few times and although she was not a HOlocaust survivor, she dealt with a lot and this post inspires me to write about it....good post, Andrea!
And thanks for sharing it with me since i missed it back in August!