1. **The Electrified Pole**: During a thunderstorm, lightning struck the circus tent pole while Anna's husband, Harry, was performing on the trapeze. Harry fell to his death, but Anna, who was seven months pregnant, made a split-second decision to save herself and her unborn child. She grabbed a lightning-hot pole, suffering burns on her hands, but survived. Sadly, the child was stillborn later.
2. **The Doctor's Love**: While recovering in the hospital, Anna fell in love with the doctor who set her broken arm. This doctor, who specialized in injuries from parachuting accidents, taught her to read and write. They moved into his family's farmhouse, where Anna's child was buried.
3. **Blindness and Grace**: In her old age, Anna has gone blind. Despite this, she handles it with grace, intentionally making choices and retaining agency in her life. Her behavior emphasizes her resilience even when her sight is taken from her¹².
Anna's life, like a trapeze act, has been a series of daring leaps—some unexpected, others deliberate. Through it all, she remains a testament to courage and resilience.