Anne Frank/Maria

We have visited the Anne Frank Museum twice in the past year. Although chilling, I never want to erase the memory of some of the images and details of Anne Frank's life. Something I will never ever forget is the interview with Anne's father. On video, he said, "I thought I knew my daughter, but you never really know your child." He said this with a reverence and respect that grabbed me through the screen. Like the rest of the world, he too was in awe of his daughter's insight into their world of war. He loved and protected Anne like only a father can but he had no idea of the talent and inner strength she possessed.

In her own special way, Maria has that same strength. One year ago today Maria was in a car accident. She severed her spine at the 2nd lumbar vertebrae. If you follow the blog or are part of our family and friends, you know what Maria went through. You may have even seen the hardware they used to secure her spine for 10 months! Maria handled this very hard year with a drive that I didn't know she had inside of her. She overcame so much and healed herself physically and mentally. I am proud of her. Now she is moving on to the next stage of her life with college acceptance letters rolling in and high school graduation right around the corner. If this past year is any indication of how Maria will handle the ups and downs of the rest of her life, there is no doubt that she will be a success. I am glad to have been able to see her in action and walk with her as she grew into the person she is today.