I recently watched
Schindler's List. If you haven't seen it, you should (but not with children in the room). There are so many things I want to say, but I'm at a loss.
Oskar Schindler was an amazing man, who did all he could to help as many Jewish people during WWII that he possibly could.
Most of you know I have been writing a historical fiction middle grade novel, SURVIVING OPERATION
PIED PIPER. It is about the struggles of children who were evacuated from London during WWII. My characters survive the Blitz only to be sent away from their parents, relatives, and friends to live in the countryside with strangers. I know this was a hardship...but when you put it in perspective to what Jewish families were going through in Europe it is really nothing. They were alive, taken care (usually), fed, clothed, housed and for the most part, safe.
I've read tons of history and historical fiction books. I read
YELLOW STAR because an agent recommended I read it (after she did a ten page critique for me). It was one of those hit you in the stomach books. It's very different than
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK, which most of us know and value as an important part of history. YELLOW STAR was about surviving in the Ghetto. A few children were all that survived until the end of the war. YELLOW STAR is a powerful book!
The people who survived the concentration camps had such fortitude. As did the ones who escaped and/or lived in hiding until The War was over. Can you imagine living through the horrific times that they did? I don't think I would have made it.
So why am I writing this post? WWII was so long ago and we don't have these problems today, right?
There is still hatred and prejudice going on in this world, even genocide. I expect you are asking me what you can do, you are only one person...Oskar Schindler was just one person, too. He made a difference by trying to correct a wrong as much as he could. We each have to do what we can to educate ourselves on what is going on around us. We have to make sure we see what is really going on in our world. We must help one and other to
never forget our world's history.
And when you think your life is not going your way and you want to complain about not having the money to buy a new toy (you know what I mean) or to eat out or to get ahead...think about the people in our world who are or have been persecuted; ones that were killed for their beliefs, or their differences, ones that were tortured, taken away from their families (never to see them again), ones that had ALL of their belongings stolen (never to be replaced), ones that hid in fear for their lives, ones that were purposely starved or beaten, confined to certain poor quality lands, AND think how some of those people were miraculously able to move forward when circumstances changed...Yet persecution still goes on
today...hatred still is
here..
Then ask yourself...Where do you stand?
If you have time to look at the links, I think they are all beneficial...
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If you would be willing to share stories from your families history during WWII or any other point in history I would love to hear them. There are so many times in our history that
MUST NOT be forgotten! You can leave them in comments or email me at sharon k mayhew at gmail dot com.
I think I have found a purpose for my writing...I need to share stories of survival...So, as I finish up SOPP, I am thinking about what will come next. Perhaps your families story will be a part of my next one.
(If you didn't enter my contest for one of Janna's beautiful handcrafted necklaces, please hop over and do so.)
