It Seems So Long Ago But It's Still Fresh

Yesterday was a bit emotional for me but I wanted to share a few thoughts.

As I watched the memorial service from Kyiv of the 1st anniversary of the 1st victims of the revolution, who are now known as the Heavenly Hundred, I couldn't help but to think back, the brooding person that I am.  It was one year ago on January 30th that I stopped by Independence Square in Kyiv to see what was going on with the Maidan protests before boarding a flight back to Canada.  You can read more what I wrote at that time and see photos here http://blairs-page.blogspot.ca/2014/02/the-revolution-in-kyiv.html  I vividly remember the sights, the smells and how surreal it felt to be there.

Little did I or anyone else know at the time how bad it would get just a few weeks later.  As it was, I was on Hrushevskova Street just a few metres from the spot where only one week prior the very 1st deaths occurred.  When standing on the barricade I was speaking to a man and I'll never forget how his face lit up when he found out I was from Canada and how he thanked me for being there.  I now wonder that when I was there if I may have rubbed shoulders with anyone who is now gone.  Please forgive me if I sound morbid.

After I got back to Canada I remember the horrible feeling watching the live feeds when everything did get worse between February 18th and 20th.  I found out that 2 of my friends were on the square when it was all happening and I felt so helpless watching it all knowing they were there.  My friends are okay but they, like all Ukrainians and myself, are forever changed.  I won't go into a description of the events that continue in Ukraine.  I'll leave that to the media.

People say to me that I'm better off here.  All I know is that I want to get back to Ukraine to pick up in my work there.  Ukraine as well as Kyrgyzstan has become my home and that's where my heart is.  The russian terrorism has not come to Krivoy Rog and if anything there is even more work to do because refugees have come to live there as well as children orphaned by the war.  They have lost everything and need to rebuild their lives from scratch.  Most escaped with just what they could carry and they need a lot of support.  I pray that I can get back soon.

Please keep Ukraine in your prayers.  Please also keep me in your prayers that doors will open up.

Thank you for seeing my heart.  Till next time...я люблю вас!!

I took this photo standing very near where things got bad between February 18th and 20th

I'm standing on the barricade at Hrushevskova Street.  I still had the smell from the burning tires on my clothes when I got back to Halifax 2 days later.