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18 “НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ЧЕРВЕНЬ 2011 Honoring Our Past by Honoring Our Personal History by Marianna Szczawinsky Crans Memories It took the recent death of my father and subsequent funeral for me to rea lize the importance of one’s heritage, to know our parents’ history, their stories before they are forever lost. As with most Ukrainians I know, our parents were part of the thousands who were forced labor for the Nazi s during WWII, many having also suffe red under Stalin’s Soviet machine. After escaping hell, these survivors began new lives, often wherever fate carried them. As a result, our diaspora is dispersed worldwide. Many Ukrainians, my father among them, would not talk about their wartime experien ces. They also had to recover f r om their own form of Post Traumatic Stress. Because of this, my father was a “Familiar Stranger” to me when I was young, which often caused misunderstandings as I found his reactions to certain things puzzling. When I was co mpleting my BFA degree in photography, I was required to create and present a photo thesis, and I thought, “What better subject than my father? To capture his rituals, his habits, his moods, and thoughts.” In working on this thesis I learned about the man inside and learned some of the stories that too many Ukrainians of that era carry in their heart s . These were stories of horror and fear, but I also learned about the amazing resiliency and strength of those who came before me and who share my culture. When my father died, I decided to display several of those photos at his wake, along with the following text. It was a way to let our “American” friends and families know just how complex and wonderful this simple man was. The photos accomplished this and they und erstood. And now they are encouraging me to write Dad’s stories down, which I have already begun to do. An d I, in turn, encourage those of you who are reading these words to ask your parents, your grandparents for their stories, for YOUR history before suc h stories are lost forever. Even if you record them just for family history, you will be glad you did; because in doing so, you honor the people behind the stories as family, as a people, a heritage, a nation that evil could not destroy. You share their pa in and acknowledge your pride and love in them for what they overcame. Even the gift of freedom takes on a new meaning when someone you know intimately and personally has had to suffer and fight for it. In undertaking this project, I am finding satisf action and peace in learning about and better understanding my father, my family, and myself. The author, who shares the story of her father’s life on the following pages, is a member of UNWLA Branch 95. Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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