Ukraine. We don't say much, because what can we say? We are a mixture of emotions, fear, sadness, anger, disbelief, helplessness, guilt. Crying with despair, but also with gratitude, seeing such a huge mobilization in Poland and in the world. We feel admiration for our friends and strangers, at the same time wondering how it is possible that the same country in which everyone seems to be involved today, a few months ago considered it illegal to pick up another refugee, another woman with a child who had been freezing in the forest for weeks. We are spending our days reading news, telling ourselves that it is completely pointless and feeling remorse, because we are in the sunny Greece. We are looking for a way to help which goes beyond posting, connecting people, or giving money. At the same time, we seek for relief and isolation, a way to experience emotions and regain strength, because, like many of our wise friends with experience in humanitarian aid emphasize: this is not a sprint, it is a marathon. Our help will be needed not only today and tomorrow, but also in a month, in a year, maybe more.
We feel guilty to keep going with the projects we are involved in, hold meetings, conduct workshops on a topic other than war. We feel guilty sending a message about something else than the current conflict. And yet, deeply inside, we know it's important. It is important for us to not get crazy, and important for the world, because our projects are about this - about changing the world, about listening to ourselves, about peace, about love.
Andrea suggested to write in a post that what we need the most now is love. Love for people from Ukraine and people from Russia. Anna reacted saying we can't do it now. Even though she knows he's right. And that we should take care of those who come from Ukraine or Russia and are already around us. Nationality does not automatically mean consent to the actions of politicians. For all of them, even if in a different way, it is a dramatic situation.
Love also came to Anna during yesterday's breathing session led by Marta Grabowska, for which she is very grateful. This is Anna's little way to maintain long-term strength. The way to experience emotions deeply and consciously, taking them out of the body so they won't stick there forever. Along with walking, nature, crying and conversations with friends, breathing sessions keep her up and going. You can join them as well.
You can also donate money, collect staple goods, help to organize them, open the door of your house to refugees, join peace parades, support those who support - with your presence, understanding, taking over their duties. And you can think in the long term, even if the future is still uncertain, about how to build an open society, how to create peace in the world and in ourselves, and how to work with trauma, because we all had plenty recently.