From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 1096)
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 46:9-11
These days are hard. They bring back the memories of February of 2022. I’ve also realized that the days leading to the full-scale invasion were deceptively sunny, which may be why I don’t like sunny days in February now. I simply don’t trust them.
In the past few days, I’ve had several conversations that turned into reminiscing about that February. I remember how I repotted my plants the weekend before the invasion as an act of defiance amid the dreadful news. Most of those plants died after we left Kyiv. Some of them survived not only our absence but also my recent neglect. I guess I resisted doing anything for my balcony garden for fear of losing it again. However, this weekend, in yet another act of defiance, my balcony came back to life because life is something we can’t put on hold out of fear.
Does it mean that I’m not afraid anymore? Oh, no. The past several nights were filled with loud explosions (I guess 267 kamikaze drones were delivering messages of peace negotiations), which made me nervous. I don’t know what tomorrow may bring, not just for Ukraine but for the world. However, I know that it won’t change God’s mercy and grace we see every day.
Yes, my beloved Ukraine is bleeding. Death, destruction, and deceit lurk around every day. We cry over the loss of dear people. However, I want to end this “anniversary” post with words by Lesia Ukrainka, a prominent Ukrainian poet (translated by Vera Rich):
Yes, I’ll smile, indeed, through tears and weeping;
Sing my songs where evil holds its sway,
Hopeless, a steadfast hope forever keeping,
I shall live! You thoughts of grief, away!
Voice of Ukraine 