Books We Are Grateful For
LINOTTE
THE EARLY DIARY OF ANAIS NIN 1914-1920 from page 108: "On rereading these last pages...Sleep now, for later on the sea will be angry and your sole support will be: God. What was I trying to say? That the thought of prayer, of surrender, of trusting in our Lord, came to me very late. Only when I was sick and in pain did I pray to Him to whom I should have prayed during times of joy. Ungrateful one! Later, I prayed, but since I wasn't used to depending on prayer, in my moments of sadness I turned toward humanity where, of course, more than consolation, I found the need to be consoled. In my diary, I unburdened my heart, but nowhere could I find hope. Until now, I felt an emptiness in my heart that I would never have tried to fill, and it was prayer, which still plays a role in the human heart, sometimes unrecognized, sometimes splendidly powerful. From now on, I have two companions: my earthly diary and heavenly prayer. Both of them console, both strengthen, and both know the faults of their Anais. In prayer I find hope, in my diary I plant the virtue that I want to imprint forever on my second soul, so as to achieve it...if...I can..." - entry March 7, 1916 (age 13) |