About Mother’s Love

“Mom” is the very first and warmest word of a child. The word sounds very melodious, soft and tender in all languages. It is with mom that we have a special invisible connection that even death will not destroy.

Mom plays a big role in the family. They lay the foundation in their children with which they will go through life. She forms an attitude towards people, towards family, family traditions and moral values. Even if mothers are not perfect, they will always try to pass on the best to their children. And when we become adults, we begin to appreciate even more, the care and love that our mother gave us in childhood.

When I think about Mother’s Day, there are lot of stories about mother’s love that come to mind. Some of them, unfortunately, are connected with the war in Ukraine, but nevertheless illustrate that love. I will never forget the story of what happened to my sister Lesya when Ukrainian women with children were leaving the country on evacuation trains. There was a large crowd of people at the station, women were screaming, children were crying, everyone was trying to get on the train and were afraid of losing each other. My sister with her two daughters, who were eleven and thirteen years old, were standing near the doors of the train hoping to get on. The flow of people was like a powerful river, almost uncontrollable.

Amidst all this emotional turmoil it was very difficult to stay close to each other, even holding hands. My sister, along with other people entered the carriage, thinking that the children were following her, but when she turned around, she was horrified to find that her girls were left outside. Lesya began calling to them, but they were blocked by the crowd and could not come any closer. The conductor announced that the train would move and my sister was seized by panic. She tearfully asked them to let her out but the door of the carriage was already locked. On seeing the situation the female conductor took responsibility, opened the door opposite and said that she would have to go around the entire train to get back to the children. It was quite dangerous, but Lesya leapt down the steps without another thought. Thankfully everything ended well as they met and were able to safely leave on the next train.

I feel very sorry for all the mothers who experienced some similar trauma and I feel incredibly sorry for those who lost their children in the war and those mothers whose sons are now serving, risking their lives. I feel sad for those mothers who are now sleeping in corridors with their children and waking up to the sounds of explosions. I would not wish this on any mother and I really hope that this terrible war will end soon.

I want to share yet another story with you about another mother’s love; that of my cousin Ira, who is now in Ukraine. This unfortunate story should not have happened to such a wonderful girl. At twenty, she got married and at twenty-three she gave birth to a daughter, Vika. The girl was born with a complex disease called microcephaly, and as a result was very weak and did not respond to anything. When the child was five months old, Ira’s husband Yaroslav died in a car accident. Ira was left alone with her mother, and her daughter’s illness and this along with her husband’s death fell on the shoulders of two fragile women like a heavy cross. But they accepted this challenge and surrounded the girl with their boundless love, gave her care and warmth.

In Ukraine, there is an International Charitable Foundation “Mission to Ukraine”, which helps special children. Ira was taught how to properly work with such children. Vika couldn’t do anything, neither eat nor drink and she couldn’t hold her head up. At home, Ira and her mother looked after her and did everything they could, using different methods of therapy. They took her to hippotherapy, to work with horses (hippotherapy is a rehabilitation method using adaptive horseback riding), and they gave the girl massages.

After a year, Vika began to smile a little, her first facial expressions appeared and for Ira, there is nothing more precious than her daughter’s smile. Now Vika is 16 years old, she can eat, drink, reacts to many things and even in this state, the daughter gives her mother love and warmth. When the war began, Ira and her mother could not take their girl away because of her special illness and they really hope for peace as soon as possible. Ira is a wonderful mother and a kind, sympathetic person.

Now she has another test in that she is fighting cancer, but I am sure that she will cope with this trouble, because she is a very strong woman and a responsible mother. To distract Ira from her sadness, I often tell her about my life in Crowsnest Pass, about my work, about nature, share my photos with her and she really enjoys this connection. Ira also has a hobby in that she knits beautiful things for her daughter and cooks beautiful and delicious desserts. Ira is also a very beautiful woman and I am proud of her as a mother and relative and wish her a speedy recovery and many joyful and happy days to come.

On Mother’s Day, we all congratulate our mothers and we are happy that they are alive and that we, their children and grandchildren, can continue to cherish them. My mother’s name is Galina and like my dad, she became independent quite early. Just like my father, at age 16, she set out to conquer the big city and succeeded. Mom graduated from the technical school of radio electronics in the city of Kyiv. She worked at the design institute as a draftswoman, then as an inspector in a gas company. Galina is very hardworking, cooks well, knows how to sew, knit and grow vegetables and fruits. She also grows roses, peonies, tulips, marigolds and many other flowers. Mom does it with love and with soul and her yard is like a small botanical garden. Mom has always had time for everything: she worked, took care of the house and our family. She is still very caring and worries about all of us. Our mom is also very hospitable and is happy to see guests at any time. Her phone never stops ringing from calls from her relatives and friends. She belongs to that generation of women who remember the birthdays of their loved ones, friends and even former colleagues. Mom has her own large notebook with her favorite recipes, takes good care of food and things and keeps family albums. We love our mom very much and wish her good health and long life.

In Ukraine, mothers have always been treated with respect. Often, it was the mother who was the main link in the family and children came to her for a blessing for a long journey, for work or for marriage. The theme of love for one’s mother is often found in Ukrainian folk songs and poems of famous poets, such as Taras Shevchenko. The song about mother “Chernobrivtsy” (marigolds) is very popular in Ukraine. Here is an excerpt from it:

“When I look at those Chernobrivtsy,

I see an old mother,

I see your hands, my mother,

I hear your caress, dear one.

I know separations and meetings –

I saw in a foreign land

Chernobrivtsy from my native land,

What you sowed in the spring...”

We also really love the song about Rushnik
(decorative towel). It has the following lyrics:

“My dear mother, you didn’t sleep at night,

You took me to the fields by the village,

And on a distant journey you saw me off at dawn,

And gave me an embroidered rushnik for happiness...”

When I came to Canada, I planted marigolds seeds near the house as a reminder of my mother and they brought me joy until the first frost.

I wish all mothers the love that they give to their children. Let it come to them in any form: through tender words, through the love of people around them, through the warm sun and blooming roses in the garden or park. And always a peaceful sky above your head.