09/03/2022
It took me some time to gather myself for this post. First of all, I want to say that we stand with the people of Ukraine (including some of our oldest and closest family friends). What is happening right now makes me and my entire family sick to our stomachs. My family fled the Soviet Union when I was 7 years old (about my kids' age). I am forever grateful for my parents' unimaginable decision to leave their home and family behind in search of freedom and opportunity. At the time, they faced the very real possibility of never seeing their families again. We left with the clothes on our backs and a few suitcases. They made it all feel like a grand adventure for me, when I know they were terrified about the road that lay ahead for them as immigrants. Candidly, my memories of that time are murky. To the people of Ukraine, the world is standing behind you. To those in Russia protesting in the streets and speaking out against this war (risking arrest and beatings), you are brave.
That’s me, in the last family photo we took with my grandparents, shortly before we fled. I’m forever grateful to be an American.
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