ABML #2: Matt Joyce

One thing that really stuck with me as I read the second part of All But My Life was the will to live Gerda had during the death march. I was shocked when Gerda said that the death march had lasted for over two months. With a warm mush to eat every other day, its no surprise that only one-hundred and twenty out of two thousand people survived. To think of only having one meal every other day, or even one every day is simply unreal. It must have taken a lot of strength to split the piece of bread that fell onto her lap into twelve tiny pieces for everyone around her. Taken into account how starving she was, I wouldn't be surprised if she scarfed the whole piece down. Even with death possibly a few breaths away, she wasn't selfish, and she shared with the others around her. I don't believe I could have pushed on through the frigid winter nights like Gerda did. She had to take huge risks, like sneaking onto the sick wagon, to try to hold on for at least the next day. These harsh conditions, coupled with the heartache of the loss of Ilse, is unimaginable. I was relieved when Gerda instructed Ilse and others not to go to sleep. The risk of not waking up in the morning was high, and although annoying at the time, it definitely helped to survive for at least a couple more days. This will to live during the death march touched me, and I surely hope to have this same type of determination throughout the rest of my life.