Friday, November 25, 2005

Illustration Friday - FREE



I was inspired by the following passage, from someone who was able to feel joy despite suffering terribly in Nazi concentration camps and losing everyone he loved.

”One day, a few days after the liberation, I walked through the country past flowering meadows, for miles and miles, toward the market town near the camp. Larks rose to the sky and I could hear their joyous song. There was no one to be seen for miles around; there was nothing but the wide earth and sky and the larks’ jubilation and the freedom of space. I stopped, looked around, and up to the sky—and then I went down on my knees. At that moment there was very little I knew of myself or of the world—I had but one sentence in mind—always the same ‘I called to the Lord from my narrow prison and He answered me in the freedom of space.’

How long I knelt there and repeated this sentence memory can no longer recall. But I know that on that day, in that hour, my new life started. Step for step I progressed, until I again became a human being.”
Victor E. Frankl ‘Man’s Search for Meaning’

10 Comments:

Blogger vfm4 said...

i'm reading this with tears in my eyes.. thank you, Julie!
and the illustration you made is a wonderful companion to it...

11/25/2005 11:17 AM  
Blogger Christine Lim said...

Wonderful illo to accompany such a meaningful passage.

I enjoyed looking through your blog and squiggles. Great style.

11/25/2005 11:37 AM  
Blogger Laureline said...

Julie, this is wonderful and powerful.

11/25/2005 12:31 PM  
Blogger kinky konijn said...

now that's the true meaning of "to be free"

11/25/2005 12:33 PM  
Blogger leifpeng said...

I've just been reading a friend's articles about the Somalian refugees who have found freedom here in our city from the horrible years of massacre in their homeland and your quote really speaks to that terrible ability we humans have to repeat history, and your lovely illustration shines like a ray of hope for better times - well done.

11/25/2005 2:20 PM  
Blogger carla said...

That is such an inspirational and powerful opassage. Your illustration captures the feeling so well...everything is soft and open; the figure small but sure within the space. Thanks for sharing this. It's very moving.

11/25/2005 2:26 PM  
Blogger Cream said...

Great illustration!
Many of us don't realise that what we take for granted is an impossible dream for others!

11/25/2005 4:43 PM  
Blogger Caroline said...

Wonderful!

11/25/2005 10:16 PM  
Blogger Julie Oakley said...

I was lucky to come across the passage when I was trying to think of something along the lines of freedom and joy- I'm finding Victor Frankl's book really interesting and this part of the book is so very moving

11/26/2005 11:57 PM  
Blogger Robin Oakley said...

Yes, I was pleased you werew reading this book I got us. We all need to get closer to happiness. So thanks for your help and support in setting up my happy-club blog!

11/27/2005 9:28 PM  

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