Here on the Brilliant Blog, we are commemorating Women’s History Month by sharing our thoughts on some of the women who inspire us.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved writing. And that passion was certainly inspired in no small part by Anne Frank. I read the Diary of Anne Frank when I was 13 years old – around the same age of its eponymous author. Of course, I was moved by the story of a young girl and her family as they hid from the Nazis and were eventually captured. But more than that, I was inspired by the words of a young girl who used writing as a way to escape and express her often confusing feelings. I couldn’t relate to the persecution and fear Anne experienced, but I could certainly relate to her feelings of both love and frustration toward her family, the excitement of young romance, and her passion for writing. After reading it, I even went out and bought my own diary, and gave it a name, as Anne did.
In her diary, Anne expressed her desire to be a writer – “to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met…to go on living even after my death!” Tragically, she was never able to fulfill her dream of becoming a journalist or novelist, but there’s no question her writing has brought enjoyment and inspiration to millions.
My favorite excerpt from the Diary of Anne Frank – especially poignant for those of us who share Anne’s love of writing:
“I finally realized that I must do my schoolwork to keep from being ignorant, to get on in life, to become a journalist, because that’s what I want! I know I can write …, but it remains to be seen whether I really have talent …
And if I don’t have the talent to write books or newspaper articles, I can always write for myself. But I want to achieve more than that. I can’t imagine living like Mother, Mrs. van Daan and all the women who go about their work and are then forgotten. I need to have something besides a husband and children to devote myself to! … I want to be useful or bring enjoyment to all people, even those I’ve never met. I want to go on living even after my death! And that’s why I’m so grateful to God for having given me this gift, which I can use to develop myself and to express all that’s inside me! When I write I can shake off all my cares. My sorrow disappears, my spirits are revived! But, and that’s a big question, will I ever be able to write something great, will I ever become a journalist or a writer?”
