We are in a new month, still at home, and doing our best to carry on. When news of people going back to businesses and gatherings in other places comes to us here, we struggle with wanting to do the same and being under orders not to. In our fast-paced world, seven weeks seems like forever. But it is not very long in the big picture of things. Consider the example of Anne Frank and her family. To survive the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War Two as a Jew, Anne Frank hid in the attic apartment above a family friend’s business with three members of her family, plus another small family and an individual. Nine people in three “family units.” Anne started a diary shortly before going into hiding and kept it throughout her experience. In order to avoid detection, all those hiding in the attic had to remain motionless during the entire day and could only move around once those in the business had left work. Even then, the windows had to be covered and they could never go out for walks or sunshine.

For some perspective, the first seven weeks of Anne’s hiding takes up nine pages in her book, The Diary of a Young Girl. Her entire experience in hiding continues for 220 more pages! I’m not saying that we will have to endure the same proportion of time, but it might help to know that others have had a similar experience and found a way to manage.

What has helped you to find perspective, happiness, healthy habits, and connection during this time?

give an example

The storefront of the building that Anne Frank and family hid in. The attic where they stayed is in the back