A Lot To Be Thankful For
As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, it's a good time to reflect on what we have to be thankful for. For myself, as I think about my life, I know that I have a lot to be thankful for-- beginning with the fact that I am alive and living in a land of freedom and opportunity.
The headlines this year seem to be filled with crises and challenges around the globe. They remind me that peace is fragile and that freedom must be zealously guarded. As a child during World War II, I fought against the brutal enemy that occupied my homeland. I was lucky to survive the war-- many of my young friends did not.
Looking back, I am thankful for my wartime experiences-- they have shaped my life in ways I could not have anticipated. I can see now that they gave me a sense of purpose as a teenager and instilled within me the values of always fighting for what is right and never giving up.
Seeing the war's destruction of my lovely home town of Warsaw made me want to build a beautiful, better world. So after the war I studied architecture. I am thankful for the opportunity in 1948 to come to America to study at Yale University-- though I had to work very, very hard at all sorts of jobs to pay my way through school. I am thankful for the wonderful career I've had, working in many countries around the world for the World Bank, teaching in universities, writing and speaking.
As a young person during the war I was faced with unimaginable evil, where sometimes the easiest thing would have been to "go along." I am thankful for my parents and the other adults around me, such as my Scoutmaster Ludwik Berger and my aunts and uncles, who gave me a loving early life and a firm moral and practical grounding that enabled me to tell right from wrong. I have tried to do as well for my own children.
I have achieved things I never could have dreamed as a little boy. The hardships of World War II made everything afterwards in my life seem easy, and I thank the good Lord that I have had the opportunity to accomplish the things that I did. At the same time, I honor all those who also faced the hardships of war and fought for the freedom that we now enjoy, but who did not survive to create a life for themselves.
The headlines this year seem to be filled with crises and challenges around the globe. They remind me that peace is fragile and that freedom must be zealously guarded. As a child during World War II, I fought against the brutal enemy that occupied my homeland. I was lucky to survive the war-- many of my young friends did not.
Looking back, I am thankful for my wartime experiences-- they have shaped my life in ways I could not have anticipated. I can see now that they gave me a sense of purpose as a teenager and instilled within me the values of always fighting for what is right and never giving up.
Seeing the war's destruction of my lovely home town of Warsaw made me want to build a beautiful, better world. So after the war I studied architecture. I am thankful for the opportunity in 1948 to come to America to study at Yale University-- though I had to work very, very hard at all sorts of jobs to pay my way through school. I am thankful for the wonderful career I've had, working in many countries around the world for the World Bank, teaching in universities, writing and speaking.
As a young person during the war I was faced with unimaginable evil, where sometimes the easiest thing would have been to "go along." I am thankful for my parents and the other adults around me, such as my Scoutmaster Ludwik Berger and my aunts and uncles, who gave me a loving early life and a firm moral and practical grounding that enabled me to tell right from wrong. I have tried to do as well for my own children.
I have achieved things I never could have dreamed as a little boy. The hardships of World War II made everything afterwards in my life seem easy, and I thank the good Lord that I have had the opportunity to accomplish the things that I did. At the same time, I honor all those who also faced the hardships of war and fought for the freedom that we now enjoy, but who did not survive to create a life for themselves.
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Thank you so much for the kind reply and for sharing your story, as well. You are right that we are of the same generation. I fought in the Warsaw Uprising as a child soldier, having been born in 1929. I am glad you have enjoyed the blogs, and I do hope you enjoy the book as well. Looking forward to hearing your "review."
Today, at 07:00 pm, December 17, Japan's standard time. What that makes me exceedingly happy is to acknowledge the receipt of your reply through Facebook as well as the book itself from the bookdealer. It won't be long before you'll read my personal views on your masterpiece. I appreicate for your quick response.
His recommendation on reading a book describing about Witold Pilecki helped me to deepen into the matter. After that, I became engrossed in perusing the books like "Rising 44" by Norman Davies, "The Bravest Battle"
by Dan Kurzman, and then, yours.
Judging from the photo shown above, may I make bold to say that I'm very likely to belong to the same generation? - I was born in 1931. Kid as I was then, I knew well what was happening in Poland through the newspaper. As for myself, in 1944-45, I had a narrow escape from death by USA B-29s' bombing in Tokyo so
I'm well aware of the stupidity and inhumanenity of war
even up to date without forgetting lots of tragedies that took place around me.
Today, I placed an order for your work to an intimate American bookdealer and looking forward to devoting myself to be immersed in reading.
I make a promise to send you my feelings after reading
your book through. I hope that you will stay in good health. Thank you for your running your eyes over my
short correspondence.