I cannot imagine what you are going through,
bb, having grown up in the heart of this conflict, seeing this senseless destruction. Like Charles, I am an American, but my forebears on my father's side come from Ukraine. My surname even bears the patronymic suffix -uk. I have never known anyone with my last name who was not a direct relative, and most of them still live in Ukraine—or at least they did until maybe a week ago, I have no idea. When news reports reached us last week, my wife said of the Russian invaders, "They're blowing up your people." (I am reminded of my great grandfather, who had a brother, known to me only as Borys. During one conflict or another, he ended up getting sent to Siberia, where he was wiped off the face of the Earth. This aside may be his only memorial.)
You are not alone,
bb, Charles, or anyone else directly or indirectly affected by these developments. To pull back my own curtain a bit more, I have lived simply, humbly, at or near the poverty line every year since I graduated from high school. This past year was no exception. I love sharing knowledge, but I hate putting a price on it, so I am a reluctant tutor. But as soon as I saw the above post, my wife and I donated as much as we felt we could.
May we all find peace in one way or another: Ukrainians, Americans, Indians, and yes, Russians. We all share the banner of humanity.
- Andrew