Insights from the diaries of Anne Frank and Etty Hillesum by Liz Watson
Liz Watson has been a member of WCCM for over 20 years and now focuses on teaching meditation in a variety of settings, leading retreats in the UK and beyond, and offering spiritual direction.
In this series of two talks – Ripening Lives in Frightening Times – she reflects on two extraordinary lives and their diaries: Anne Frank and Etty Hillesum, who both lived in a situation of confinement.
Anne Frank – Growing Up
Liz starts with a quote by Welsh poet, Waldo Williams – a quote that in ways unites the two women.
‘What is living? A broad hall found between narrow walls’.
Being confined together, even in our families, can make unfamiliar demands on us. We only really know who we are by the relationship we have we with others, by the responses we receive and the reactions we return. When confined, our dwelling place can become an intensified echo chamber with voices continually bouncing off the walls and no way to get away from them .
Etty Hillesum – Obedience
In this second talk, Liz Watson explores the diary of Etty Hillesum, looking at two main themes: the idea of finding a broad whole between narrow walls – the linking theme of Liz’s two talks – and the theme of obedience.
Finding freedom and spaciousness in situations of limitations and restriction seems a very attractive idea. But what has to happen for it to happen? Then it just happened or do we have to do something? Watch her full video on Etty Hillesum here:
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