My dreams... almost real...

I am pretty sure I have posted before about this incredible artist. In fact, if I haven't, then I will need to be severely reprimanded. So much of the way I view life and what is beautiful has been influenced by the art of Carl Larsson. His gentle way of looking at everything, the colors he used and the beauty of faces and places he captured forever, have always seemed to me to be close to perfect. I want to just disappear into those pictures...those scenes of his everyday life that are filled with so much happiness and freedom! The rooms are simple but lovingly decorated with small touches of color and flowers and little trinkets that show you that this was a family that cared for each other and their home. They sought out beautiful places to play and carry out their necessary activities. If I could step into any pieces of art, they would be these...I love looking at them and finding ways to bring that beauty into my life, and the lives of my family. I never am quite satisfied, but that is ok, because that failure keeps me always trying...






images from the Carl Larsson website (signature) and a general image search pulled up the print entitled, Crayfishing by Carl Larsson, watercolor, 1897

669

Why don't I already know this? Ok, I am aware of the state of education in America, it is why I homeschool. This story should be part of every study of World War II, or just of society's response to war in general.
We should all be aware that change is possible, and it can be anyone who effects it, not just the rich and famous or those with clout, but sometimes just an ordinary man can make a difference that saves OVER 600 children from certain death. Winton has insisted that he wasn't doing anything special, "I just saw what was going on, and did what I could to help." Try telling that to the 669 people who made it out of Czechoslovakia and the 5000 children and grandchildren who WOULD NOT EXIST if Sir Nicholas Winton hadn't seen what was happening in the early days of Nazi expansion and done what he could to help. The article here is a good one for the heart of the story.

Sir Nicholas with one of the Czech children saved on his "kindertransport"

Sir Nicholas is currently 100 years old, and has survived to see the recreation of his life-saving trip by survivors, their family members and students who were selected to ride along. He was waiting for them at London's Liverpool Street Station as the vintage steam train pulled in. It truly is a wonderful story, check out my links throughout this post to learn more. Not only did this gentleman feel that a situation was wrong and want to do something to rectify it, he arranges endless details on both the Czech and British side of the journey, lined up foster families for the children and each child also needed a 50 pound "guarantee" (in 1939, remember) and he had to raise the money to cover any additional costs of transporting the children when they parents could not cover the total amount. The parents. Let's think about them for a moment. These were Jewish parents terrified of the encroaching Nazis. Knowing that time was limited and unable to pick up and leave, they lined up in a hotel dining room in Wenceslas Square in Prague and did what they could to at least save their children. Imagine the scene. Then move to the train station on the day of the children's departure. War always causes the unthinkable to become reality. I don't like to imagine the scenario that would have me lined up to send my children away from me. Thank God for Sir Nicholas Winton and all those who worked with him to save a generation of Jewish children from the fate that awaited them at home. Their families perished in concentration camps. A ninth and final train that was scheduled to leave the station with 250 children on it never departed Prague. It disappeared on September 3, 1939. The day Britain entered the war. 250 foster families waited in the Liverpool station for children that never arrived. Not one of those children was ever heard of again.

Jews who escaped Nazis as kids recreate train trip

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Nicholas Winton, photo: CTK