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OUR LIFE Monthly, published by Ukrainian National Women’» League of America VOL. XXXIX OCTOBER 1982 EDITED BY A. H. Sawyckyj TO THE MAMA’S OF SOYUZ UKRAINOK, WITH LOVE by Alexandra Riznyk I remember especially the mamas of the Soyuz Ukrainok. I remember my mama, Evdokia Lyktey; I re member Rosie Polche’s mama, Maria Chuma; I re member Betty Jensen’s mama, Mrs. Dzuma. I remember many, many other mamas like them. They were very typical of the early immigrant women who came to the United States and to Canada from Ukraine. These were very unique women. These were women mostly with 2 grade school education who came to this country for a better life. Some came just for a visit and never went back. All had different reasons for coming but they came. In most instances they left most of their families in Europe. Some had a few relatives here and there. But once they had their families established and their homes organized, they felt the need in this still strange land to join together with other Ukrainian women for mutual interest, for social reasons, for moral support. We all know that the Ukrainian woman has been a liberated woman for many, many generations. She didn't need ERA. She knew she was entitled to a night out with other women to share ideas and have fun. I remember these women, typically like our mamas, joining and forming clubs that quickly became very ac tive in the community. They formed theatrical groups, they gave plays, they gave concerts, they observed holidays, they had patriotic programs. We all remember “sviata heroyin” to which they dragged everybody in the family. And the reason I am here, and the reason some of the rest of us are here, is because we were dragged to everything. No one said ‘would you like to come?’ You just went. These wonderful women supported the organi zation of Ukrainian language schools. Whatever the community needed they were ready to do. The small clubs that they organized gradually evolved into the UNWLA. What made them in my estimation so memorable is that whatever they did, they did with great enthusiasm. They were very energetic and they had a zest for living. Everything they did was done wholeheartedly. There Alexandra Riznyk — H onorary Member o f UNWLA. was gossip — they were women, — and there was a little intolerance here and there. But when there was a given project, the gossip was forgotten and laid aside temporarily and everybody worked together. For many years these women took part in the Inter national Women’s Exposition in New York. They worked like demons. They dragged cases, they embroidered things to be sold, they came and cleaned, they packed, they unpacked, they took turns selling in the booths. They were plenty of arguments but they did it. I think what made them so unique was that these women knew how to love. They knew the meaning of love. They punished with love. They argued with love, they differed with their club officers but with love. Everything they did, they did with love. Love for one another, love for their organization and their energy seemed to be endless. It was always renewed. Some of us may say — oh, well, the times were dif ferent. Perhaps. The times we live in are pretty bad. We do not seem to hear anything joyful anymore; tragedy constantly hovers over us.
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