The Best Birthday
In a letter to her grandmother, Alice Frank, in June 1941, Anne Frank’s voice is full of the simple joy and excitement of a girl who just turned twelve. Her birthday was slightly delayed, as her grandmother had been hospitalized, but the celebration was no less special.
Anne enthusiastically listed her presents, a haul that would thrill any child. She received a bicycle and a new school bag from her parents, Otto and Edith, along with a beach dress and other small items. Her grandmother gave her money and an atlas, and her sister, Margot, gifted her with stationery, a sign of Anne’s burgeoning passion for writing.
She also received a poem from her cousin, Stephan Elias, a gift she clearly appreciated, and from her father, a gesture she expected but no doubt cherished.
The letter also reveals her youthful plans for the future. She looked forward to her upcoming vacation, where she would spend fourteen days with her friend, Sanne Ledermann, and her family. She even mentioned a trip to a children’s vacation home, a simple detail that in retrospect is heartbreaking. Her plans were filled with the kind of hope and joy that would soon be taken from her.
This letter is a powerful testament to Anne Frank’s resilience and her ability to find joy in the small things. It is a snapshot of a normal girl’s life, filled with presents, friends, and summer plans, a life that was about to be turned upside down.
