This year, 2023, I found Leonid's diary for 1938, which was started when he was already in England – and practising English in some of his diary entries. Then the diary stops, and on a back page starts again with a single entry in Russian, dated 1941. In translation, this meditation runs as follows:
“Today, 4th of April, 1941, my 80th year began. Praise and thanks be to You for everything, for my children, grandchildren, and myself. God, grant them all - now and to come - health and long life, and for me, spiritual peace and death without suffering as you gave to her, the unforgettable one.”
I sent this prayer to my children, Leonid’s great-grandchildren. One of them wrote back to me:
“What a picture into a man. That's what I find touching. You can see where he is, and what he is, and what he is thinking. Standing at the top of the mountain looking down all he has climbed. Grateful. Gracious.”
Epilogue
Leonid's Diary
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This year, 2023, I found Leonid's diary for 1938, which was started when he was already in England and practising English in some of the diary entries. And the diary stops, and then on a back page it starts again with one entry in 1941 which runs as follows:
“Today, 4th of April, 1941, my 80th year began. Praise and thanks to you for everything, for the children, grandchildren, and myself. God, grant them all - now and to come - health and long life, and for me, spiritual peace and death without suffering as you gave to her, the unforgettable one.”
I sent this image of the diary to my children and one of them wrote back to me:
“What a picture into a man. That's what I find touching. You can see where he is, and what he is, and what he is thinking. Standing at the top of the mountain looking down all he has climbed. Grateful. Gracious.”
