March is normally the month when social media is awash with photos of beautiful yellow daffodils. This March, though, it’s been awash with sunflowers instead. Sunflowers stand tall and proud, strong and resilient. They’re the national flower of Ukraine. And just like their national flower, we’ve seen that the Ukrainian people stand tall and proud too. We’ve all witnessed their bravery and strength. And their fearlessness.
We Shouldn’t Be Seeing Sunflowers in March
We shouldn’t be seeing sunflowers in March. Ukrainians shouldn’t need to be showing bravery and strength. The strength they’re showing is commendable but they shouldn’t be going through this. Nobody should.
They should be in their homes, schools and workplaces going about their normal lives. They shouldn’t be having to fight for what is rightfully theirs.
It’s so incredibly sad to see what Putin is doing to Ukraine. He is a war criminal. He is killing civilians. The country is being destroyed under his orders. It is being decimated bit by bit.
These past few weeks have made me feel angry, helpless and my heart breaks for the Ukrainian people.
Millions of Ukrainians have made long, painful journeys in freezing temperatures to take refuge in other countries. So many won’t have homes to go back to when this is over. They won’t have the husbands, sons, brothers and fathers who stayed behind to bravely fight in this abhorrent war.
Many sick, disabled and elderly simply couldn’t make the journey to safety because they were physically unable to do so. Who knows what will become of them? Will they get the medication and medical treatment they might need? Will they survive?
I Can’t Imagine How Ukrainian People Are Feeling
It’s hard to even think about what’s going on in Ukraine without crying. I can’t imagine how these people must be feeling. They are losing everything – their homes, their careers, their money and, in many cases, their families. They’re having to uproot themselves not knowing what they will return to.
War in Any Country is Wrong
Putin has cut off the news and social media to the Russian people so that they only hear his version of events. I am sure that the majority of Russian people believe he is wrong but they fear him. He tells them this isn’t a war. Instead, he calls it a special operation.
I don’t want to get into the politics of this war but there is no reason on this earth to justify what he is doing. The worrying part is that if he wins this war, he will not stop with Ukraine. He is an evil monster.
War, in any country, is wrong.
I hate wars. I despise nuclear weapons. They are supposedly a deterrent to prevent invasions. Putin is a prime example of why nobody should have nuclear weapons. He invaded Ukraine then made an ambiguous threat about using nuclear if other countries step in to help. Other leaders have to take his threat seriously because they know he is a dangerous man.
Sunflowers in March Show That When There is Evil, There is Also Good
Social media is awash with Ukrainian flags and sunflowers to show support. So many people want to help Ukrainians. Kindness is plentiful. People all over the world are opening their homes and donating food, clothing and money because they want to show their support to Ukrainians. Thankfully, when there is evil, there is always good to be found.
The Sunflower Bundle
My blog’s hosting company, Lyrical Host, organised a package of digital resources with all profits going to help the people of Ukraine. It is full of fantastic digital resources, ebooks and images which were donated by bloggers and website owners. There’s no set fee. All they ask is for people to pay what they want and all profits will be divided between three charities.
I thought it was a lovely and very thoughtful idea. The three charities are the Red Cross, Project Hope and Ukrainians with Disabilities. I hadn’t heard about the last charity and I really want to give them a shout out on my blog. The charity is helping evacuate and support people with disabilities. They will also be helping disabled people who cannot leave Ukraine by providing medication, food and support.
Coping With the Overwhelming News
I didn’t ever think that I would see a pandemic in my lifetime. But I did. I also didn’t think I would see World War Three and I really, really hope that I don’t.
It’s been hard watching the news but I’ve felt compelled to. I can’t turn away and shut out what’s happening. If everyone did that, it would be an even sadder world. However, I have had to take a step back occasionally because it becomes too overwhelming. Sometimes we need to do that for our own well-being.
At the beginning of the pandemic, I wrote a blog post about how to cope when you feel overwhelmed by the news. Because of the war in Ukraine, it’s fairly apt just now.
I’d also like to share a couple of posts from one of my chronic illness blogging friends which you might find helpful just now. Caz, from Invisibly Me is one of the kindest people I know. She’s down to earth and I find her posts are always so relevant.
Ten Ways to Deal with News Overload
and
Eight Ways to Make a Difference in the World
Life isn’t easy for Caz, but she tries to raise awareness about health issues and gives support to so many people. Please take a look at her blog if you have a spare few minutes.
Take care everyone and let’s hope that April is a better month.
The war is as shocking as it is heartbreaking, isn’t it? My thoughts on it are perhaps a little more unpopular (along the lines of how Putin’s concerns around Nato should have been listened to initially, in order to prevent this from happening). I still absolutely hate what’s happening and strongly disagree with any war. I can’t understand anyone having nuclear weapons. Just the thought of it is terrifying. What’s happening with bombs and guns is more than bad enough. So many will be left behind because they can’t keep up – just like you said with sick, elderly and disabled. I worry too about those that can’t access in the internet or don’t know how to use technology (so again probably mostly elderly) as most of the routes to get out of Ukraine and into another country like the UK relies on doing it all online.
I love that you’ve balanced this hatred and horror with sunflowers, with hope. It’s nice to see so many in the world join together to want to care for the innocent victims in the midst of this war. It’s heartwarming to know how many have opened their homes, too, how many have posted messages of love and hope, how many have volunteered or donated items or given money. I think of the war and all those suffering and I just want to cry. It feels so hopeless because it has gone on for far, far too long already. But there is hope, there is a lot of goodness going on in the middle of it all. We need to hold onto those things.
Thank you so much for referencing my posts, Liz. You’re an awesome blogger with such engaging content, a beautiful person and a wonderful friend. đź’ś xx
Thank you Caz. Your words mean a lot. I don’t think your thoughts are really that unpopular. This war shouldn’t be happening. It could and should have been prevented. But nothing can excuse what he’s doing. He said he was attacking military bases, but he’s killing civilians.
It really is just so sad. I remember at the start seeing some of the women leaving with their children, saying goodbye to their partners/dads. I was in tears watching. Will they ever be reunited? Have those men survived. It’s just so sad. But, yes, we need to grab hold of all the good things that are happening. They all matter.
PS. The Ukrainians With Disabilities site is interesting, sounds like a brilliant charity initiative. They put a counter on the site that shows today there have been 503 people saved so far, and 1616 in progress đź‘Ź
This charity impressed me, Caz. I’d hate to think of disabled people being left behind during this, so it’s nice to know that there are people there helping them.