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As I leave this office, which has provided so many memorable moments, I leave with a grateful heart and with the faith that our organization will continue its good works throughout this century and beyond. Our longevity rests on our ability to make our organization a delightful place to be for every woman to belong. If we succeed in this goal, the UNW LA’s future will be as brilliant and as remarkable as its past. Thank you and God Bless you. Iryna Kurowyckyj, President From the Desk of the Editor As I prepare this month’s issue of Our Life , I am reflecting on the report I will be presenting at the UNWLA Convention and reflecting, as well, on my association with the remarkable woman who has served the UNWLA as president over the past nine years. It has been an interesting relationship, punctuated by numerous emails and early morning discussions, and marked by mutual respect, cooperation, and amiability. As English-language editor, I have strived to fill the pages of this magazine with articles and stories that are interesting, entertaining, and thought-provoking. For the last nine years, I have been encouraged and supported in these endeavors by President Iryna Kurowyckyj. Each month, for example, these pages have begun with a message From the Desk of the President. The content of what we have jokingly come to refer to “the desk” has included information about the work of the UNWLA Executive Committee; congratulatory notes about milestones celebrated by Regional Councils, Branches, and individual UNWLA members; observations and commentaries on important events within our organization, in the Ukrainian diaspora, and in Ukraine; and insights on the work of national and international organizations with which the UNWLA has partnered to achieve some common goal or purpose. At other times, times, with deadlines looming and blank spaces remaining to be filled, I could always count on Pani Iryna’s assistance. More than once, she forwarded to me fascinating archival materials from the UNWLA’s past or suggested someone or something interesting that magically filled those blank spaces at the eleventh hour. In the process of reading and editing each of the monthly “desks,” during meetings, and during our numerous conversations, I have learned many things, both about the UNWLA and about our Pani Holova. Among the things I have learned is Iryna Kurowyckyj’s ability to weather storms gracefully and graciously, whether such storms have occurred within the organization or in the broader context of life. I have also seen her infinite capacity for kindness, particularly during the year that my mother passed away. In happier times, I learned that Madame President possesses a sparkling sense of humor and the soul of a consummate diplomat with the ability to smooth and soothe even the most ruffled feathers. While I have, on rare occasions, witnessed anger or distress, I have also witnessed a marvelous self-control and an ability to rise above the circumstances that have provoked these emotions and move on. And so, like our president, I am finding it difficult to write this pre-convention message because it signals a farewell that saddens me. Change, no matter how positive, evokes some trepidation, not the least of which is a sense that one must leave a familiar and comfortable relationship and build anew. There is, fortunately, much comfort to be derived in knowing that I work as a member of the UNWLA and as editor of a magazine that has been around for many, many years. Both represent a thread of continuity, a lifeline to the future. And there is comfort as well in the knowledge that a friendship forged between editor and president will not be diminished or diluted. It will simply change to accommodate change. Thank you, Pani Iryno. May God bless you and watch over you as you embark on new adventures. Tamara Stadnychenko, English-language editor
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