MAY 17 2022
By Sunny Day
As a child, I spent a few of my summers in Odesa, Ukraine at my family’s apartment. I am part of the 6th generation on my mother’s side that has grown up in Odesa, so the city is very special to my family. The city has a humorous and unique character that all the women in my family share. I believe that this is part of what connects us most.
My memories in Odesa are the first memories of my life. I remember walking the cobblestone roads of the city with my mother, exploring parks with my grandmother, and eating fresh fruit from the garden with my great-grandmother. I even remember how nervous I was before my baptism, but how my godmother was there to comfort me.
All the women in my family have always led by example and showed me how to be the person I am today. I have grown up listening to the stories of their selflessness, strength, and independence. They have always led by example and showed me how to be the person I am today, and I will always treasure the memories that I made with my family there.
“February 24, 2022, was a heartbreaking day, one I will likely never forget.”
I woke up to the news of a Russian invasion and I could not focus on anything. I have never felt such a sense of indescribable helplessness before. I couldn’t even be home with my family so that we could offer each other the in-person support that we needed.
Coping with this over the past few months has been challenging. Even in my happiest moments, I feel a sense of guilt. My mother and her family have shared that they feel a strong sense of survivor’s guilt as well. All that we can do is support each other despite all being states apart. I asked my mother what she would do if she were still in Odesa, and she told me that she would stay and fight for her home, life, and independence- all things that I now realize I have taken for granted.
To cope I have needed to spend a lot of my time clearing my mind outside. I realize that sitting outdoors and living in safety is a privilege my relatives and family friends do not currently have since they now must live through daily airstrikes and warnings. I know how easily this could have been my immediate family’s reality. My mother deciding to immigrate to the US 24 years ago and later bring her parents and sister was a blessing to our family.
Despite the darkness of this time, the world has gotten to see how resilient and beautiful Ukraine and its people are- the way that I’ve always seen it. For me, it is now so important to not let culture and traditions slip away from me or my family. My mom and I have become each other’s conversation partners to practice speaking Ukrainian and now passing down recipes and traditions has a renewed sense of importance. My mother and I share dreams of being able to return to Odesa one day, and I hope that that dream may one day become a reality. At this stage in my life, I hope to continue learning new skills and gaining experience so that I may be able to give back to a country that has given me and my family so much. I am so thankful that Canopy can be one of those stepping stones in my career.
These lyrics from one of my favorite Ukrainian songs, Шлях Додому (The way home), express my feelings about a hopeful return to Ukraine one day.
Шлях Додому (The Way Home)
“I will find the way home.
Even though it will be difficult to travel.
Memories of violence in it.
There will be comfort and light.”
“Я знайду свiй шлях додому.
Хоч важко буде йти крiзь.
Спогадiв шалену втому.
Там буде затишно i свiтло.”
-Jamala
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