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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЖОВТЕНЬ - ЛИСТОПАД 2008 25 “WOW” by Olia Rudyk I’m not one to make a promise and then break it. The editors of this magazine would be too disappointed in me and so here I am attacking the keyboard with an article for Nashe Zyttia. “WOW” is the key word of this article and after reading it, I am sure you will agree with me that it fits nicely. During the Memorial Day Weekend in May of this year, I was lucky enough to be a delegate at the UNWLA Convention held in Troy, Michigan. Although almost a month has passed as I sit here writing, I am still astounded at the superior planning of various branches of the Detroit Regional Council. From the moment I arrived with fellow UNWLA member Iryna Hoshovska (president of Branch 30) to the minute we left, every meeting and event of the convention ran like clockwork. The Detroit diaspora is very active with many talented Ukrainians. This talent was evident in the arts and crafts being sold by local Ukrainian artists/vendors, as well as, by the many performances we enjoyed by young pre-school children, professional music- ians, vocalists, dancers and actors. On Saturday morning, after registration, the opening ceremonies were quite moving. The hall was filled with women of all ages, each dressed in an extraordinary embroidered blouse. Thank good- ness for digital cameras. I brought mine with enough memory to click away, picture after picture, recording the beauty, the intricate handiwork worn by every participant of the convention. I saw in every blouse hours of patience and respect for tradition and the skillful precision as needle and thread transposed a beautiful design onto a small piece of white material. Attending the UNWLA convention gives one a better perspective about the size of this organization and the humanitarian work to which so many women throughout the country dedicate time and energy. Sharing ideas helps ignite the desire to return home and accomplish even more. Such a convention sparks new initiatives. Listening to the successful fundraisers and cultural awareness events held in other communities, stirs ideas of possibili- ties for our own small branch. From now on every coffee and cake fundraiser will take on a new meaning. Planning cultural events on a larger scale will not seem so difficult knowing that it has worked elsewhere. I am sure there will be many articles written about the convention with in-depth reporting and undoubtedly giving well-deserved credit to the out- standing individuals responsible for its huge suc- cess. My objective as mentioned originally is to keep a promise and to tell you about my personal experience and share my most unforgettable mo- ment. The UNWLA may be a not-for-profit chari- table organization, but it is more than just that. Closely working with people with the same object- ive helps create friendships. Throughout the years I have grown close to many of our members. The convention allows friends to reunite for a few short days, friends who rarely see each other because of the many miles that separate them. Such a reunion was made possible for me when I saw an old friend, Halya Brodych Salemi, waiting to take part in a break-out session. Besides the color of her hair, she had not changed much over the years. Thoughts raced through my mind trying to add up exactly how much time had passed since I last saw her. Too long! I walked up to her and I could see her looking at me oddly. I read her mind. She too recognized a familiar face. In an instant, we hugged and cried. We rambled about ourselves, our husbands, our children, about the hardships we had survived, and most of all about the happiness and good fortune we had been granted. Twenty years melted away in one split second during a UNWLA convention in Troy, Michigan. WOW. ATTENTION: Delegates to the UNWLA 28 th Convention voted to raise the subscription of Our Life magazine from $25 to $30 for all UNWLA members beginning with January 2009.
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