Slava Ukraini

An American journalist I follow posted something today that I just can’t get over and past. Basically he said : “We don’t have the bandwidth to care about what’s going on with Russia and Ukraine, but we should try to.”

Wtf, dude?!

I get that there’s a lot going on. I get that there has been a lot going on for a long time now— with COVID, with Trump, with racism, with sexism, with the economy, with climate change, with everything. And we are tired. And we are so often overwhelmed, frightened and paralyzed. And then comes Putin with a new thing to put on our already over-loaded plates.

But this— it’s different. This is something the vast majority of us have never been alive for— an unprovoked military aggression by one (authoritarian) country into another sovereign (democratic) nation. RUSSIA IS LITERALLY INVADING ANOTHER COUNTRY.

We should all care. Period. Not “try” to care. Just CARE! This is a massive assault not just in Ukraine, but on the post-WWII world order and (what appeared to be) settled norms of international behavior. The fallout from this will impact us all eventually, but right now it is directly impacting Ukraine and its incredibly resilient, kind, hospitable, and singular people— people who fed me, housed me, hosted, taught and welcomed me into their country, kitchens, and culture this past September.

Here are some of the beautiful foods from that trip.