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OUR LIFE MONTHLY, 'published by Ukrainian National Womens League of America Thoughts on Mother's Day I t w a s u n f o r t u n a t e t h a t m y p a r e n ts h a d n e ith e r th e t im e n o r th e d e s ire t o te a c h m e t o re a d a nd w r it e U k r a in ia n . R a th e r , t h e y w a n te d us to le a rn E n g lis h , so t h a t w e w o u ld n o t be d is c r im in a te d a g a in s t a n d c a lle d f o r e ig n e rs as th e y h a d been. F o r t h i s re a s o n , t h e y o n ly sp oke U k r a in ia n a t h om e, b u t n o t in f r o n t o f o th e rs . W e k n e w t h a t w e w e re “ R u s y n y ,” b u t n o t h in g m o re . H e re in D e t r o it one S u n d a y , I re a d in th e c h u r c h b u lle t in t h a t th e r e w a s a n u r s e r y f o r E n g lis h - s p e a k in g c h ild r e n a t S t. M ic h a e l’s C h u rc h on th e w e s t side. I s ig n e d u p m y tw o g ir ls , 3 a n d 5 y e a rs old , so t h a t t h e y c o u ld a t le a s t h e a r U k r a in ia n s p o ke n a n d le a rn a b o u t U k r a in e . T h e c h ild r e n a tte n d e d v e r y g la d l y — t h e y lik e d sch oo l. A t hom e, t h e y w o u ld a s k f o r t h in g s in U k r a in ia n in o rd e r to s u rp ris e m e, a n d w o u ld a lw a y s g r e e t t h e i r g r a n d m o th e r in U k r a in ia n , w h ic h d e lig h te d h e r. O ne d a y , th e g ir ls b r o u g h t h o m e a n in v it a t i o n t o a “ M o t h e r ’s D a y P r o g r a m ” f o r m e a nd g r a n d m o th e r , s c h e d u le d f o r th e d a y b e fo re M o t h e r ’ s D a y . W h e n w e a r r iv e d a t 11 o’c lo c k , th e f i r s t t h i n g w e n o tic e d w a s a n ic o n o f th e B le ssed V i r g i n d e c o ra te d w i t h e m b ro id e ry a n d a g a r la n d o f flo w e r s . O n sh e lve s a lo n g th e w a ll, w e sa w th e c h ild r e n ’ s n a m e s, a n d a ll ty p e s o f a r ts a nd c r a f t s t h a t th e y h a d m a d e t h e m selves. O n a ta b le n e a rb y , th e r e w e re l i t t l e b o w ls in w h ic h th e c h ild r e n h a d p la n te d som e p la n ts a n d a lso som e c la y fig u r e s . W e g r e a t ly a d m ir e d a ll th e s e a r t o b je c ts , as w e ll as th e te a c h e r, M rs . N a z a re n k o , w h o h a d th e p a tie n c e t o p re s e rv e th e m a n d e x h ib it th e m in su ch a c h a r m in g m a n n e r. S ince th e c h il d re n w e re n o t in th e r o o m a t t h is tim e , w e co u ld e n jo y th in g s a t o u r le is u re . T h e n w e w e re a sked to s i t d o w n . T h e c h ild r e n w a lk e d in th e g ir ls c a r r y in g b o u q u e ts o f flo w e r s in t h e i r h a n d s, a nd w i t h g a rla n d s o f flo w e r s w it h c o lo re d r ib b o n s on t h e i r heads. T h e b o y s h a d b o u to n n ie re s w i t h b lu e a n d y e llo w rib b o n s . T h e y s to o d in f r o n t o f th e g ro u p o f m o th e r s , a n d s a n g a p r a y e r to th e B le sse d V i r g i n . T o m y s u r p ris e , I s a w t h a t m y d a u g h te rs p ro n o u n c e d e v e ry w o r d in U k r a in ia n . T h e n th e c h ild r e n g ave th e m o th e r s flo w e r s w h ic h th e y h a d p la n te d th e m s e lv e s . T h e p r o g r a m c o n tin u e d — th e y sang, danced, a nd m a rc h e d . W i t h a s to n is h m e n t, I w a tc h e d n o t o n ly m y c h ild r e n , b u t o th e rs , to rsee h o w th e y sang. I w a s g r e a t ly s u r p ris e d w h e n th e te a c h e r spoke o n ly in U k r a in ia n to th e c h il d re n , a nd t h e y d id e v e r y t h in g as i f th e y h a d h e a rd th e la n g u a g e e v e r y d a y o f t h e i r liv e s . A t th e end, t h e y g a v e us a h a n d sh a p e d co okie, w h ic h each c h ild h a d c u t o u t a n d b a k e d . P le ase b e lie v e m e w h e n I sa y t h a t e v e r y m o th e r th e r e w a s in te a r s — th o s e w h o u n d e rs to o d U k r a in ia n a n d th o s e w h o d id n o t. W e w a n te d t o s ta y lo n g e r, to t a lk , to s h a re o u r im p re s s io n s . W e w e re in no h u r r y to lea ve, f o r w e w a n te d to p r o lo n g t h i s j o y f u l m o m e n t, a ll o f us, m o th e r s , g ra n d p a re n ts , a nd g u e s ts f r o m C h a p te r 81 o f S o yu z U k r a in o k . W e w e re g re e te d b y M rs . L is k iw - s k y , v ic e c h a irm a n o f th e R e g io n a l C o u n c il, w h o e xp re sse d th e h ope t h a t t h is w o u ld be j u s t th e b e g in n in g f o r o u r c h ild re n , a n d t h a t w e w o u ld c o n tin u e t h e ir U k r a in ia n e d u c a tio n in R id n a S h k o la . W e w e re a ll so e n tra n c e d t h a t w e d id n o t k n o w h o w to t h a n k M rs . N a z a re n k o , th e te a c h e r, w h o h u m b ly d e n ie d a ll th e w e ll d e se rve d p ra is e , a n d o u r g r a titu d e , a n d in t u r n p ra is e d th e ta le n ts o f o u r c h ild re n . I s e n t m y o ld e r d a u g h te r to S t. J o h n ’ s U k r a in ia n p a r o c h ia l school, a n d th e y o u n g e r one s t i l l a tte n d s th e n u r s e r y school. I am h o p e fu l t h a t m y c h ild r e n w i ll b r in g m a n y m o re su ch j o y f u l m o m e n ts on v a r io u s h o lid a y s as t h e y a tte n d th e U k r a in ia n sch oo l. I w o u ld lik e t o s a y t h is t o th e le a d e rs o f th e S o yu z U k r a in o k : a lth o u g h o r g a n iz in g and r u n n in g su ch an o r g a n iz a tio n is d i f f i c u l t w o r k , i t is w e ll w o r th it . I h a ve sin ce jo in e d th e S o yu z U k r a in o k a n d I w a n t t o h e lp o th e rs t o u n d e rs ta n d th e ty p e o f w o r k w e a re d o in g , and w h a t som eone else h a d done f o r m y c h ild re n . A Happy Mother, Irene Clay Pysanky V e r y in t e r e s t in g c e ra m ic a r t i fa c ts m a d e d u r in g „ K n y a z h a D o b a ” ( e r a o f th e p rin c e s in th e h is t o r y o f R u s - U k r a in e ) a re so- c a lle d C la y P y s a n k y f r o m K ie v . T h e se a r t if a c t s m a d e f r o m c la y a n d b a k e d in a k i l n a re c a lle d p y s a n k y b y a rc h e o lo g is ts because t h e y h a v e th e sh ap e o f a n egg. T h e y a re c o v e re d w it h a n o n tr a n s p a r e n t c o lo r f u l c o a tin g w h ic h se rve s as a b a c k g ro u n d f o r d e s ig n s p a in te d on w it h a m u lti- c o lo r e d la c q u e r - lik e s u b sta nce . T h e m e th o d s o f w o r k m a n s h ip a nd d e s ig n o f th e c la y p y s a n k y
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