Break. It was fun, a week that went by suprisingly fast considering I did very little. The first weekend I went with Stephanie Poller to Windham New York where i skiied for the first time ever, boy was that an experience. Besides being embarassed out of my mind by the four and five year olds zooming past me on the bunny hill, I could not even make it 10 feet without falling. By the end of the day I seemed to get the hang of it, but still there was one problem. I, under no circumstances, could get off the chair lift without tripping, falling and creating a pile up. It was a task that even on my last run I could not master. The rest of the week was pretty relaxing watching the movies that rossyy lent me. He has some pretty weird suggestions but his latest "I am Sam" ended up being quite enjoyable. Friday's blizzard resulted in my canceled trip to Indiana, which was extremely dissapointing. But the weekend ended up being pretty solid anyway, and I will be flying to bloomington this coming weekend instead. Thats my update, Its always fun to chatt---kissesss.lsell

Many times in literature, a story’s title will only reflect a specific quote in the book and not tie in the entire message. The Sunflower by Simon Wisenthal, does the opposite by using a symbol that brings together the whole novel and makes a shining image stick in your mind. It reminds us all the meaning a human life has, and how in World War II those lives were so viciously ripped away. Sunflowers are a symbol of hope and happiness, something that we are blessed to have and unfortunately those in The Sunflower are not. As Simon is being lead through town with other prisoners like cattle, he recalls the graveyards he passes on his way. All the dead SS soldiers are remembered by a sunflower resting atop his or her grave; and “Suddenly I envied the dead soldiers. Each had a sunflower to connect him with the living world, and butterflies to visit his grave. I would be buried in a mass grave, where corpses would be piled on top of me. No sunflower would ever bring light into my darkness.” All hope was lost. It was no longer a matter of if he would die in this terrible war it was a question of when.

Sunflowers are a symbol

I have just begun reading The Sunflower by Simon Wiesenthal which is proving to be a much better read then I initially predicted. All stories of the Holocaust begin to feel very similar but this one touches on a paticular moral situation instead of multiple situations with similar themes. The main character, Simon has been tortured through the hells of Hitler's reign for what seems like an eternity when he is called to the bedside of a dying SS soldier. This soldier uses his time with Simon as a sort of confession to his sins, trying to get everything off his chest. In doing this he reveals a stories that so greusome and awful they are hard to hear. So it raises a question that could be and will be argued for centuries, does simply confessing their sins and admitting to themself and others that their actions were wrong erase them and make it all okay? Of course it is good that on their death bed, one can recognize that they have sinned- but how can it erase all the families destroyed, and lives stolen. This book reminds me of Ellie weisel's Night in which another older man reflects on his life in World War II. Stories like these have gained widespread popularity and Night even appeared in Oprah's Book Club . The stories although different, are so similar in the emotions they convey. These people were at best treated like animals (although i think even cattle get better food and water then these prisoners did). No living being should ever be treated like this. This is why it is so important for books like this to be written, so that others can connect with the victims and understand the horrifying situations that can arrouse, so that this will never happen again.