620 day of war

Hello, friends!

It seems that time is passing by faster and faster. Trying to detach from the war and the efforts focused on survival consume all of our free time, and it feels like just yesterday it was still summer, and now we're already preparing for winter. But that's even a good thing because the faster time seems to pass, the sooner the war will end.

This week, we all read an article from the Commander-in-Chief Valeriy Zaluzhny, and it evoked mixed emotions. On one hand, what he says is saddening because it's not uplifting phrases about everything being fine, or when the war will end; it's a return to reality, a cold shower that shows how difficult the situation is on the front lines and the challenges our army faces to ensure that we can all live in peace. On the other hand, although the situation is not getting any easier, it motivates us to continue doing everything for victory, to gather all our efforts and fight to the end. Also like that all these difficulties are not hidden from society, and there is at least some transparency from the government.

Almost two years of war are very long and exhausting; it seems like everyone is tired of it, but there's no turning back for us.

It's quite strange that, despite the less than ideal situation on the front lines, the country still doesn't conscript everyone for the front, as they attempted to do last year. Even though we have a significantly less population than in Russia, this seems like a good decision. This is because, besides the war, there is still a need to work within the country, and there aren't enough people for that either. We see it every month when we help unload trucks with humanitarian aid. If at the beginning of the war, we could just go to the humanitarian headquarters and receive aid, now everyone who can comes and unloads humanitarian aid from trucks and then gets their share. Additionally, the very task of war - taking lives - is a complex one, and not everyone can handle it. I think I'd be morally broken if I had to do it. Although it's entirely normal during a war to eliminate an enemy who has come to your home with the intent to kill you, it's difficult for me to imagine taking someone else's life.

Now I've finally finished painting the T-shirts and can take a few days off to prepare the apartment for the cold. Heating is very expensive now, so like last winter, we won't turn it on. Instead, I'll try to insulate all the windows and doors as much as possible. Now we have plenty of warm clothes and blankets, so I think we'll get through the winter just fine. I want to express my special thanks to Carol for the warm blanket that we use year-round and that our cat Sonya always lies on. This year, I'm confident that we're ready for anything and can endure it all. Power outages, lack of heating, and cold weather are not as scary when you're prepared for them. This year, we are prepared for everything!

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