Bedtime Storytime Lessons and Tears

When I was a little girl, we read all the time.
We had lots of bedtime stories read (and made-up) for us.

I remember reading the Felicity American Girl books together. Mama, Lu, and I were reading on the couch and we got to the book where Grandfather died. We cried and cried together. Dad came in the door and thought something horrible had happened because we were all crying so hard.

Now, I read every day to my own children.
We read lots of beditme stories.

This month, Annabeth and I have been reading some "Who Was..." books that are on loan to us from our friends the Gish Family.

This week, we have been reading Who Was Anne Frank? Annabeth first became interested in Anne Frank after visiting the "Children Who Changed the World" exhibit at the Children's Museum of Indianapolis. When she saw the Anne Frank book in our tote from the Gish Family she wanted to read it right away.

We have been reading, and having some heavy discussions, about Anne all week. Tonight we finished it, and it was so hard to read. They finished the book with a beautiful quote from Anne's diary:

"In spite of everything, I still believe that people really are good at heart."

Unbelievable.

A girl whose childhood was taken as she was forced into nearly two years of hiding, a girl whose life was taken by typhus as she suffered her last days in a concentration camp still saw good. She still chose to believe in the good, to believe in people.

I sobbed as I read Anne's words. I looked over and I saw tears just running down Annabeth's face. She said, "Mama. I am so sad because they hated Anne for nothing." If my child, my five year old, understands that. Why don't others? Why do people still hate? Why don't we learn? 

When we said our bedtime prayer, sweet Annabeth prayed, "Dear God, thank you Mommy, Daddy, and Owen. And for Jesus love. And for hate to end."

Amen. Let's be the love, let's be the light. Always for Him.