Humility and Courage
Miep Gies Miep Gies, the woman who hid the Frank family during the Nazi occupation of Amsterdam died today. I was touched by her comment replayed on NPR regarding her feelings towards being considered a hero. She said in 1997 to school children online, "I don't want to be considered a hero. Imagine young people would grow up with the feeling that you have to be a hero to do your human duty. I am afraid nobody would ever help other people, because who is a hero? I was not. I was just an ordinary housewife and secretary." While Miep may have been an ordinary housewife and secretary, she had an extraordinary spirit which enabled her to brave the possibility of being arrested to help her friends. Her courage was more than ordinary, especially when you think of the times she lived through. We have all been blessed and will continue to be blessed by this "ordinary" woman's courage through the ability to read The Diary of Anne Frank . A testament to another ...