Little moments
A short letter about a difficult week and a moment that made it a little better.
This week was such an emotional rollercoaster that I felt absolutely empty of words when I sat down to write this essay. The Oscar for the “20 Days in Mariupol” documentary, to which I contributed as a translator, brought a vast mix of emotions, from happiness and pride for the team to immense sorrow for Mariupol. The fact that we need to make films like this and compete for awards in order to bring attention to the ongoing war and show the truth about the Russian invasion speaks volumes.
Even though I thoroughly filtered the people who surrounded me during the last two years, I still had those who weren’t happy about the fact that the Ukrainian documentary about a horrific tragedy got so much attention. Apparently, some people didn’t like that Ukrainians who made a film about the ongoing war in Ukraine and worked so hard to get it noticed spoke only about Ukraine and the pain of Ukrainians from the Oscars stage. I couldn’t wrap my head around how someone close to me, who knows about my work, what my Ukrainian husband’s family went through, and who read everything I post on social media could behave the way they did. It left me with a bitter aftertaste, and a tiny circle of friends became even smaller than it was before.
The whole week, I thought that I wanted to write about something good in today’s newsletter. I wanted to share something hopeful and uplifting to break free, even for a moment, from the negativity that surrounded me. However, the news from Ukraine about the devastating attacks and loss of lives kept coming, the feelings of anger and betrayal towards those who I thought were allies didn’t want to go away, and the toll of mandatory work and everyday tasks only grew bigger. By the end of the week, I felt completely drained and worn out.
I guess sometimes I don’t know what to write, and that’s okay. Instead, I want to hear from you: please share with me something good that happened with you this week. Something that brought a smile to your face, gave hope, or made the world around you feel less heavy.
I’ll start by sharing a photo of Mayson’s encounter with a bird. This little moment made my heart feel a tiny bit lighter.
In case you missed last week’s newsletter, where I shared personal stories about my family’s experience as refugees and a new poem, you can read it here:
Flowers, home, and hope
I also shared a new family step-by-step recipe of Rohalyky – delicious fruity pastries that my Belarusian mom often cooked in my childhood:
Rohalyky – jam-filled pastries
Warmly,
Darya
Email: daryazorka@substack.com
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Watch the “20 Days in Mariupol” documentary
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My positive development this week is that I've booked my next trip to Ukraine (3 April). I'll hopefully be volunteering in Kramatorsk with Ukrainian friends, but that depends on the security situation. Otherwise, we're definitely taking building materials to Kherson oblast, and I might end up volunteering in the Zaporizhzhia community and blogging to fundraise.
“20 Days in Mariupol” was the hardest documentary I have ever watched. This war is such a horror. My heart aches for all the people in Ukraine. All this slow walking of weapons to Ukraine and delays in providing the weapons they need on time is a crime as well. I'm ashamed of my country (U.S.) We could have done more sooner. Ukraine has paid a heavy price in this war. We are still with you and we will be until Ukraine wins. Slava Ukraini!