Powerful Message From Mata Hari the Executed Suspected German Female Spy
I was reading this book yesterday, 'The Spy' by Paulo Coehlo. This guy is actually my favourite author of all time, so far. So the story is based on the real life story of an alleged historic lady spy, Margaretha Geertruida MacLeod, better known by the stage name Mata Hari. Mata was a Dutch exotic dancer and a mistress who was convicted of being a spy for Germany during World War One.
Some historians believe that the Germans suspected Mata Hari was a French spy and subsequently set her up, deliberately sending a message falsely labeling her as a German spy — which they knew would be easily decoded by the French. Although many still think she was innocent, Mata Hari, was executed by a firing squad of 12 French soldiers just before dawn on 15 October 1917, aged 41. According to an eyewitness account by British reporter Henry Wales, she was not bound and refused a blindfold then apparently, defiantly blew a kiss to the French firing squad.
Anyway long story shorter, I found the tale interesting and very moving. As the saying goes, "Sharing is caring", this I had to share and surely believe tha you to will learn a lot from it.
Here is just an excerpt -from the recorded accounts of Hari, published from her dairy and letters, that she wrote before the fateful execution- that really inspired me.
......On the day of my departure, my mother called me over and gave me a packet of seeds:
“Take this with you, Margaretha.”
Margaretha—Margaretha Zelle—was my name, and I detested it. Countless girls had been given the name Margaretha because of a famous and well-respected actress.
I asked what the seeds were for.
“They’re tulip seeds, the symbol of our country. But, more than that, they represent a truth you must learn. These seeds will always be tulips, even if at the moment you cannot tell them apart from other flowers. They will never turn into roses or sunflowers, no matter how much they might desire to. And if they try to deny their own existence, they will live life bitter and die.
“So you must learn to follow your destiny, whatever it may be, with joy. As flowers grow, they show off their beauty and are appreciated by all; then, after they die, they leave their seeds so that others may continue God’s work.”
She placed the packet of seeds in a small bag that I had watched her stitch carefully for days despite her illness.
“Flowers teach us that nothing is permanent: not their beauty, not even the fact that they will inevitably wilt, because they will still give new seeds. Remember this when you feel joy, pain, or sadness. Everything passes, grows old, dies, and is reborn.”
How many storms must I weather before I understand this? At the time, her words sounded hollow; I was eager to leave that suffocating town, with its identical days and nights. And yet today, as I write this, I understand that my mother was also talking about herself.
“Even the tallest trees are able to grow from tiny seeds like these. Remember this, and try not to rush time.”
She gave me a kiss goodbye, and my father took me to the train station. We barely spoke on our way there.
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