We Are One

We who are child survivors of the Holocaust
have heard the word "just" one too many times.
     We were just children, too young to remember.
     We were just in hiding, not in a camp.
     We were just sent to a strange country to keep us safe.
     We were just in a ghetto.
     We were just in a deportation camp, not in a death camp.
     We were just in a death camp, but we survived.

We who are child survivors weren't, aren't "just" anything.
     We were hurting. Most of us hurt - still.
     We were fearful. Some of us fear - still.
     We were lost. Some of us feel lost, are lost - still.
     Unrelenting terror was a daily part of our lives for each of us.

Let us not build walls between each other.
Let us not allow others to minimize any of our experiences.
Let not their ignorance lessen our own truths.
Let us not measure ourselves by another's words.
     For they do not understand.
     How can they? They were not with us wherever we were.
     To them we proffer, "Walk in our shoes. Then we'll talk.
     Live our pain, our heartaches, our losses. Then we'll listen.

None of us are any less or any more than our Holocaust siblings.

We are the child survivors of the Shoah.
We are one forever.

I am one of you.

With love,
Laura Grabowski, Child survivor of Auschwitz-Birkenau