A Eulogy Never Spoken

My name is Janusz Korczak—born Henryk Goldszmit—a Polish-Jewish doctor who refused to let go of the orphaned children under my care during the Holocaust.

Please don't look the other way. It's taken me a while to find these words—words I never spoke—that our light still lives on in all who choose not to look away.

You’ve heard the horrors before. But with the help—and in the voice—of someone who has seen my work and pain, I offer something different: to honor the children who never stopped holding on.

They had all lost their parents to the death camps or were slaughtered by the Nazis in other ways. I could have run and saved myself. I didn't let go. They stayed with me to the end because they knew I believed in them, and that they would never be alone.

In their name, I hold the light—to see their faces, still shining through the pain. They are no longer invisible. And out of this invisibility, there is light. We are remembered now in the memorial Korczak and the Ghetto’s Children, where I first joined with the man above—his voice rising within me, his words now quietly living through mine.

I want you to see them, too—and all of their light. Don’t look away from the pain. Stay with what it stirs in you, and feel how your presence helps it soften into the healing light within them. Let them see your tears—your kind eyes—so they know someone cares.

Bring them into your heart. Linger a bit.

It’s hard not to see—that what is happening around us now, in this moment, stirs painful reminders of what was before.

The little ones in my arms whisper: “Don’t live in fear. We were so afraid—don’t let this happen again. Please, be your own hero. Don’t let go.”

Thank you for listening—and looking with kind eyes. We are no longer here, but I continue to speak through the words and art of others—refusing to let go of the hope in our hearts, our core.

I hold all of you in mine as you do this challenging work during these difficult times. You’ll be okay—even if things don’t go as you always plan.

Repeating in unison: “That's a blessing—then there’s a chance for a correction in heart and mind—a healing and new growth.”

Stand strong. Let the light of invisibility guide you home before the war can start. The light inside never goes out. It’s in your core.

Let the light burn brightly, so they know you see them, and they aren't alone. You won't be either, along with your little ones holding on to your strong arms—knowing they now live inside your heart, and you won’t let go.

And now, in my own voice—to you, my great hero—sleep well, and rise into the light of a new beginning. I will keep holding the hope, forever true.

Comments or questions? Email me at mcecilvt@aol.com. Feel free to share these words—and this blog—with anyone you hold, or long to be held by, in the light of invisibility.

Dr. Cecil is a licensed psychologist, certified AEDP supervisor, approved EMDR consultant, and senior CSRT consultant. He specializes in treating complex relational, developmental, and transgenerational trauma, bringing therapy to life through heartfelt stories and images of connection and healing that emerge from the light of invisibility.