One step at a time, over the years, as I sought to plumb the mystery of suffering (which cannot be plumbed), I began to see that there is a sense in which everything is a gift. Even my widowhood.

And so for a time it looked as if all the adventures were coming to and end; but that was not to be.

Be brave! Let's remember our duty and perform it without complaint. There will be a way out. God has never deserted our people. Through the ages Jews have had to suffer, but through the ages they've gone on living, and the centuries of suffering have only made them stronger. The weak shall fall and the strong shall survive and not be defeated!

beauty remains, even in misfortune. If you just look for it, you discover more and more happiness and regain your balance. A person's who's happy will make others happy; a person who has courage and faith will never die in misery.

Cheer up, keep your spirits high, things are bound to get better!

I can easily quote the saying: Misfortunes never come singly.

Thursday, 15 June, 1944

Yes, in the sense that I felt a certain contentment. Not always, mind you. I moaned and groaned from time to time. But I was never downright depressed again, probably because I realized that sadness comes from feeling sorry for yourself and happiness from joy.

For a long time now I didn't know why I was bothering to do any schoolwork. The end of the war still seemed so far away, so unreal, like a fairy tale.

The Knock at the Door by Ina Boudier-Bakker.

begin with, will be used up too quickly and I won't have any left by the time the war is over. Yours

It's difficult in times like these: ideals, dreams and cherished hopes rise within us, only to be crushed by grim reality.