A call to my friends and family and anyone who wants to help.
Just a few months ago I was walking down Khreschatyk Street, the main thoroughfare in the city of Kyiv, now a war zone. I have walked there many times, appreciating the imposing architecture, enjoying the cafes and restaurants, watching the people stroll by, staying on the Maidan for a while, and then having a glass of Piana Vyshnia (the best cherry liqueur I have ever tasted in my life!), until reaching the Klitschko pedestrian bridge from where you can see Kyiv in all its splendor. Today, I am devastated by the images that I see from the living room of my house, impotent, with pain and why not say it, anger at everything that is happening in Ukraine.
My heart has been part Ukrainian since I met my husband almost 20 years ago and to whom I gave the definitive YES at a beautiful wedding in a small Ukrainian Orthodox church, where my two children have also been baptized, and my daughter did the rite of First Confession. For years I have visited this country that, in addition to being spectacular, has the incredible quality of having the most hospitable people that make a foreigner feel at home. I have been fortunate to see those impressive fields full of sunflowers, visit cities full of history, and celebrate the traditions of the country as if they were mine.
Last night I had to explain to my children that today that place where they have spent their summer vacations since they were born is being destroyed thanks to the delusions of grandeur of a war criminal whose name I do not want to mention, (and it is not necessary) and tell them that part of the family is still there and that the only thing we can do is pray that this war ends. In front of them, I try to hold back my tears as I think of the thousands of families who have left their homes in the midst of panic and bombing, the children who today have nowhere to live and who do not understand how overnight and without any justification they find themselves fleeing from a war where many people have already died, and which seems to escalate more every day.
However, I also told them about the incredible example that Ukrainians are setting for the whole world. I was able to explain to them what it means to be resilient because that is what we are being taught from their president Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the Ukrainian grandma who handed the sunflower seeds to the Russian soldier. I have told them that today they should feel very proud of those roots and that no matter what happens, those of us who are outside are going to do everything in our power to help those who are risking their lives today for the entire world.
Since last Thursday, my husband, like thousands of Ukrainians in the world, has had to see these horror images, without detaching himself from the news, sleeping little, and thinking how to help from here, even though he wanted to go defend his country. We have received countless expressions of solidarity from friends from all over the world, and thus we have realized that perhaps all this global sentiment that rejects this senseless war should serve a purpose.
One way or another this war affects us all. You don’t have to be Ukrainian or be married to one to feel the pain of war in your heart. Today it is them but tomorrow it could be any of us. Today they are the ones who are facing a gigantic enemy, and who need us. Today they are the ones who are telling the world that no matter how many chances there are of succeeding, just fighting has merit.
There is much we can do apart from sharing information and the occasional meme on social networks. We can really help and that is the main objective of this post. I want to leave a list of links for you to help in any way you can. I also invite you to continue rejecting this war on your social networks. Let’s not forget Ukraine. If we can alleviate the pain of those who are suffering in something, it is worth it. Prayers and good energy are also needed, so let’s unite and make this world something worth fighting for.
