Anne Frank and Charles Schultz

Last Saturday night, we went to see a stage production of "The Diary of Anne Frank." Anne and her story have always held particular meaning for me. I've always identified with this young girl who wrote her hope, her isolation. Her personality--deep thoughts and girlish desires bubbling over pell-mell--seems so much like mine. Despite her tragic death, or maybe because of it, and nudged by her father's dedication, Anne's dream was realized. Others read her writing, and were deeply moved, and are still moved today.

My grandmother grew up in Germany under Hitler's regime, and what she saw there and related to me is an important part of who I am. So the story of Anne Frank and her Secret Annex family is magnified by its proximity to my history. Matter of fact, I shed a few tears in the play's first act....the woman portraying Anne's mother looked so much like the photos of my grandma as a young woman.

Monday, we watched a PBS special on the creator of Peanuts, Charles Schultz. Again, an artist like me. Schultz was a man of tremendous faith in God and enormous creative drive. And yes, he was also blessed with a rich family life and material success, yet wasn't immune from the immense pain of life that we all wrestle with. He put the pain on paper, in simple line drawings. Charlie Brown admitted his feelings of social rejection and insecurity during a time in our history when we didn't talk about such things.

Both of these great artists faced the pain of life head-on, and put their work out there. Why? So that the rest of us would know that we are not alone.

Would that I could do the same for a movie scrīpt. Not to bring glory to myself, but to cry for those who can't find their tears.