How Anne Frank Changed My Life

I came across the "Diary of a Young Girl: Anne Frank," years ago at a friend's place. The picture of a young girl with a waif-like frame caught my attention. The girl must have been 12 or 13 years old; there was something about her haunting eyes that drew me towards her. I began to flip through the pages and got interested. I asked my friend if I could borrow the book and she said yes!

As I read through her diary, I found myself developing a spontaneous empathy with Anne. I was the same age as Anne and found myself having the same problems, issues, and concerns that one experiences in those turbulent teenage years. But the analogy ended there. Anne, though a normal teenager, was in extremely trying circumstances. The diary was a record her life in hiding from the Nazis in Amsterdam, as she lived in cramped conditions, in an attic, for two years. She was in the "Secret Annex" along with her parents and her elder sister, Margot. The Annex was shared by the van Pels family along with their son, Peter. There was an eighth person sharing the hiding place.

Anne had got a diary as a birthday gift just before they went into hiding. She was excited and immediately started writing, calling it "Kitty." "Will I be able to publish my journal?" "I hope you will be a constant source of comfort," were some of the things she jotted down instantly. Did I share Anne's passion for writing? I did not know it then. But I did start writing my own journal, sharing my observations and feelings of everyday life with "Dear Diary."