Monday, December 22, 2008

No Child Should Ever Be a Victim of the War

Every day I look at my baby, I look into his eyes, and I wish that every child in this world received same love as I give my baby every day, every hour, every minute, every second. No censorship anymore, media is telling us all. Everywhere we turn and look, everywhere we hear, children die - accidents, sickness, diseases, murders, abuse, hunger, poverty and war.

'A little girl playing outside her home in the dirty sand. Assembling a small structure from small pebbles and dry sticks, and a leaf, and some dirty sand. Her golden hair is getting in the way. With little hand she moves her hair off her eyes, with the other hand she is trying to keep the pebble wall to stand. Her face is getting dirty, her blue eyes are full of tears, she is struggling to put her little farm together. A boy near by runs around with a stick and a string attached to it. It is his homemade fishing rod. Suddenly dark flying machines are flying over the girl's and boy's head. They look up. Oh, not again - they know. Bombing starts. Noise is unbearable. More wind with dirty sand. The boy somehow escapes in the potato fields. Lays there half covered in the sand and scattered around potatoes. He is scared. He follows asleep. As he opens his eyes, he looks around. He is safe. People are talking. The little girl stands in the middle of the field, dirty sand is hitting her small gentle body, but she stands there like a little trooper. She is not moving. She is looking at her little farm falling now apart. She wants to reach out for the falling pebble wall, but she cannot. A man grabs her small body. Pulls her to his chest. He holds her tight. He is protecting her. Its too late. Her eyes never opened again. Next morning she dies. She dies from shock. People are crying.'

The little girl is a victim of the WWII. This little girl in the above story is also my dad's sister, she was only 5 years old. She died of shock. Even though the story is dramatized a bit by me and enhanced, I am sure that in the real time, it was even more dramatic then I could ever describe. At later time, my dad's another, only month old sister also dies. Result of local bombing, falling off the bed, trauma and shock to the little fragile body.

WWII indirectly killed many innocent children, unrecorded, never mentioned. Unmarked small wooden crosses deteriorated over time. Burial grounds became empty fields filled with tall green grass swaying left and right. The little lost souls dance forever in the wind.

This Christmas as we celebrate this glorious day, let us remember those little souls that never got to enjoy the small presents, home baked cookies, warmth of the fire place, Santa Clause, and love.

"Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen. "
~ Author unknown, attributed to a 7-year-old named Bobby

39 comments:

  1. Let's pray for every child and victim that has suffered because of wars around the world. May they have peace and courage to live their days.

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  2. Hey Ren thank you so much for your comment.

    BTW thanks for the tag. I will put in my tag vault. I been tagged before, and my latest is on my photo site, http://myonlyphoto.blogspot.com, if you want to get to know me. But I will make sure I will do this one for this side of my blogging world.

    Thanks again, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    Anna :)

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  3. Anna, what a poignant story beautifully written. I pray that all war stops and we learn how to live with each other. I am disappointed that hasn't been figured out since the beginning of time.

    What a photo!!!

    Hugs to your family!!!

    Love, Nancy

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  4. This was so touching.... the scene you described in the second para... it almost made me cry...

    I'm deeply moved. Children always suffer the most because they do not know how to protect themselves.

    And your baby is so precious Anna... the profile pic is sho cute.... wish to hug him tight :) and kiss him on his cute cheek muah... do that for me please? :)

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  5. Hi JJ, yes I am sad too. I wish it would stop. Thank you so much for your kind comment JJ, it is always appreciated. Anna :)

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  6. Hi WarmSunshine,

    You said: 'This was so touching.... the scene you described in the second para... it almost made me cry...' - you know, everytime I hear it, I want to cry.

    You said: 'I'm deeply moved. Children always suffer the most because they do not know how to protect themselves.' - very good point, and I can see that raising my child.

    You said: 'And your baby is so precious Anna... the profile pic is sho cute.... wish to hug him tight :) and kiss him on his cute cheek muah... do that for me please? :)' - thanks, :))), and I will.

    WarmSunshine wishing you happy holidays, happy and healthy new year and blogging.

    Anna :)

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  7. What a wonderful and apt tribute to those innocent children who paid the price for no fault of theirs.

    Belated Christmas wishes!Wish you a happy end-of-year!

    Lovely blog you have here,and your boy is so cute :)

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  8. Yes, it's so sad that we still fight wars and that innocent people are maimed or killed.

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  9. Thanks Sameera for nice comment, and wishes, never too late. Matthew is also a very good baby, and he is growing so fast, I will miss those baby days, but then it is so much fun see him growing day by day. Thanks again Sameera for nice visit. Anna :)

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  10. Hi Geri, welcome back. And yes it is sad. Thanks for commenting. Anna :)

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  11. Well written Anna. So many children suffer for so long. I am sure your Dad never really recovered fully from the shock himself. I work at an upscale retirement center. All the residents were very successful people in life, but many lived through WWII and some even the Great depression. You never know when you talk to someone where they may have come from or gone through. Stumbled the post.

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  12. And the kids living under such conditions today, in Congo and Darfur... so sad.

    On a brighter note, there is an award for you waiting here:)

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  13. Thanks Will. I think he didn't, and he always always talks about it. His mother did too, as she had also stories from WWI as well WWII. I don't remember lot of it as we were very young, but I recall all of them being sad. Thanks for digging this post, appreciated. Anna :)

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  14. Thanks Carina, yes I know, there are lot of places in the world like that, and sometimes it even does not have to be a war.

    On my way to pick up the award. Thanks, Anna :)

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  15. Anna, this plight of children makes me cry, only a few days ago I saw a documentary called Children of War and I wish people who wage wars see it. So inhuman... The story is touching but like you said it must be a million times greater in real life. Thanks Anna.

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  16. WOW! Nice touching post...
    Indeed.. Children are special..
    But, in this world no one is safe..
    'N as it seems, now anywhere anyone can get attacked...
    All we can do is protest protest and protest.. but that too has lost it's effect..
    Now, those who wanna kill... just kill.
    Thanks for droppping by my blog. My first visit here and I really enjoyed this sentimental post.
    Aneesh

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  17. Anna thats a good post..now i feel better thanks for everything.

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  18. Hi Priyank, thanks for the comment. You are so right, it makes me cry every time I think about it. And how about recent Gaza attacks. Never seen Children of War, I will try to watch it if I get a chance. Thanks again for your visit. Anna :)

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  19. Hey Aneesh welcome to my Story Blob blog. You are absolutely right, no one is safe, and yes the protest did loose its effect these days. It is sad, how evil we can be. Thanks again for your visit, hope we can continue our conversations throughout the year. Anna :)

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  20. Angel my dear friend, thanks for dropping by. It means a lot especially during the hard time you are going through. My prayers are with you. Anna :)

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  21. Hey Anna,

    Beautiful post, darling!

    Unfortunately millions of children are dying, are suffering around the world! But the media only focuses on some of them (as all the rest didn't matter)!

    I am sorry about your dad's sisters, it is a sad story *nodding*!

    What you wrote reminded me of the children in Israel to whom this happens everyday...while they play and study...sad.
    And it also reminded me of the children in Gaza, who are used as human shield and get killed as a consequence.
    And the children in Africa, who are raped and killed everyday by vicious men.

    May God have mercy on little children!

    Thanks for this marvellous post of awareness!

    Cheers

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  22. Max it is unfortunate, these numbers are way too high. Yes it is sad story, and when my dad always tells this story, he does not show it, but I know that it makes him sad too, even though it was many many years ago.

    Thanks Max for your comment.

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  23. Hi Anna,

    "Max it is unfortunate, these numbers are way too high. Yes it is sad story, and when my dad always tells this story, he does not show it, but I know that it makes him sad too, even though it was many many years ago."

    I can surely understand your dad. It stays with you forever...it never goes away.

    "Thanks Max for your comment."

    My pleasure, darling! :D

    Cheers

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  24. Beautiful post Anna. War Sucks, and it isn't going to stop anytime soon, thank God there is a better place for them , they have a direct ticket to heaven.

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  25. Anna:

    This is a beautiful and tragic little story. I feel for the children of war. I once knew a young lady from Vietnam. She said that when she was a little girl back in country, her and her fiends played among the scattered bodies of fallen soldiers. It was horrific.

    Happy trails.

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  26. Thanks Max,
    Your valuable comments are always appreciated, Anna :)

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  27. Bob you are right war sucks. Yes better place, but they also deserve place here too to enjoy it to the fullest as we are now. I am trying to be a bit optimistic, but you know you may be right, it may never stop. Thanks for dropping by to this side of my blogging Bob. Anna :)

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  28. Oh Swubrid, this is a sad story. You know one thing is being dead, but I think those who are not and experiencing that kind of stuff, it is even worst. Thanks for sharing your story. Anna :)

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  29. Hi Anna. It's obvious human kind hasn't learnt very much since World War Two.

    According to UNICEF conflicts have killed more than two million children in the past decade.

    I pray that all our children will one day live in peace.

    Take Care,
    Peter

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  30. All children born as a basically good and holy child. This is referred to the children are from heaven. Every child each has a unique and special with the talent and potential of each. They enter this world with their own specific purposes. As parents, our role is most important is to recognize, respect, and foster the growth of the unique natural and our children are. We are not charged with any way or by anyone to form the children to become what we want, but we are responsible for the prudent to support their talent and potential so that they can develop optimally.

    Children do not need us to fix or make them feel better, but they depend on us to grow. Parents are the fertile land that can support the growth of seedlings perfectly.

    Her mother was a great man. In the chaos that occurred each in the world (see how the role of mother in Gaza to protect the children), a mother will be the stars for children. Be stars at any time, so that mothers love their children to be shining for their children all the time in life.

    Regards from Yogyakarta City, Indonesia.

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  31. Dear Anna,
    Your story is so touching. Many years ago I thought that there was nothing any more that can touch me but I was so wrong. I am now even more sensitive then I have ever had in my life. There are so many life experiences that one can never forget even if he/she wants. We ordinary people cannot do almost anything to stop all the wars in the world. The most painful thing is that those who create the wars for the sake of his own goals seem to be indifferent to others sufferings and tragedies. It is also sad and hurtful that vast majority of them believe that they do right thing.
    There are so many sad stories that I heard from my grandmother who lost her husband in the WWII. She left alone with her two little daughters of 4 and 5 yrso. The older one is my mother who still remembers of the last words of her father: “Go home honey, daddy will come back home soon”. But he never did and nobody has ever found where he lost his life and where his grave is. My mother has told me that she could write a novel of her life. My grandmother was born in Sarajevo in WWI, survived the WWII and even experienced the last aggression that happened in my country 1992-1995. She was 90 yrso when she died five years ago. During the last war more than 1600 children were killed in my city. My mother survived the WWII and the last war. But her son, my brother, wasn’t. He was only 33 yrso. His daughter was only 7 years old. My sons were little boys of 6 and 8 when the war started in the 20 centaury in the middle of Europe. Needles to say how I was feeling looking at my children without food, water, electricity....almost four years and not knowing what was expecting us any minute.
    Believe me Anna, one can never really know what the war really means unless it was experienced on the own skin. There is no way that one can ever forget such a fear, pain, grief.... I am afraid that there is no right justice on this world but only on the other world where we all will be faced with our good or bad deeds correctly.
    I am sorry for this long letter but as my mother said, I could write a novel about this. May God help to all innocent people who are not able to help themselves and their dear ones! May God help us all to live in love, peace and tolerance!

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  32. hi Anna, how are you??? no post lately??

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  33. Oh my I got so involved in myonlyphoto blog that I forgot to comment back - here I am!

    Anna :)

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  34. Peter I hope so too. But if you look around, it is not getting any better. I pray too! Thanks Peter, Anna :)

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  35. Dear Medam, thank you so much for your amazing comment, and your story, and sorry to hear about your family. You are so right 'There is no way that one can ever forget such a fear, pain, grief.... I am afraid that there is no right justice on this world but only on the other world where we all will be faced with our good or bad deeds correctly.' - there is no way. It is sad that others have no compassion.

    Medam, thank you so much. It means a lot to hear your story, and for you to write comment like that especially when you are very busy. Thank you.

    Anna :)

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  36. Bram this is so beautiful, thank you for writing and sharing your thoughts. Anna :)

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  37. Hey Warm Sunshine, thank you for shining upon me, lol. I am doing fine, just got too much involved in myonlyphoto blog renovations, lol. I will be posting soon! Thank you my friend!

    Anna :)

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  38. My oh my. What a story. So well told. So sad. And it is not just war that hurts children. There is such poverty, and so many children orphaned by AIDS. So many children fall prey to evil, wicked people; usually men, but women can be evil too. Little girls - 10 years old - forced into prostitution. And what of the parentless, homeless children who escape such a fate? How do they survive. What is life for them? How can we possibly understand their misery when we have such fundamentally comfortable lives?

    Here is a comment that was left at softiescentral.typepad.com:

    "I like this Gloria Steinem quote:

    "'America is an enormous frosted cupcake in the middle of millions of starving people.'

    "It makes me remember that while I think I'm feeling miserable, I'm really just whining about getting vanilla instead of chocolate."

    Posted by: KristyK | January 27, 2009 at 03:47 PM

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  39. Morna, I understand, it is sad for all the children, and adults too. Thanks for sharing your information it is appreciated. Anna :)

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And now lets hear your blobbing, lol!