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“НАШЕ ЖИТТЯ”, ТРАВЕНЬ 2015 WWW.UNWLA.ORG 13 As we continue to mark the 90th anniver- sary of our organization, let us consider the con- cept of “legacy.” During May, a time of year when spring abounds but also when our mothers are fondly remembered on Mother’s Day, we have an opportunity to identify with them on a deeper lev- el through the UNWLA. This is because the rich history of our organization preserves the wisdom of our mothers and grandmothers—the women who have gone before us paving the way for our work today. What is “legacy”? Dr. Susan Bosak, Chair of the Legacy Project, states that legacy is “learn- ing from the past, living in the present, and build- ing for the future” (www.legacyproject.org). Her analogy of a young tree planting aptly illustrates “legacy.” She asks where it is best to plant a young tree–in a clearing in a field of mature trees or in a wide-open field? She continues that “ecologists tell us that a young tree grows better when it is planted in an area with older trees. The reason, it seems, is that the roots of the young tree are able to follow the pathways created by former trees and implant themselves more deeply. (...) In this way, stronger trees share resources with weaker ones so that the whole forest becomes healthier.” This comparison demonstrates what legacy is: it is an interconnection across time—“with a need for those who have come before us and a responsibil- ity to those come after us.” So, what is OUR responsibility to those who will come after us? What will our legacy be? If we think about it, there are many levels and forms of a legacy: our family (children and grand- children), our professional lives and accomplish- ments, and finally our community contributions. To be “successful” in any of these, we need to think about our life goals, what we would like to accomplish, and whether these plans reflect what we, as human beings, value most. In other words, we should think about what is called a “life map.” The first two–family and professional lives–do not always offer us a choice as we must raise our family as best we can as our first priority and then provide for that family through our profession. Any contributions to our community become a personal choice. Contributing to our Ukrainian- American community is a personal choice. One should never think that one woman cannot make a difference in the destiny of our diaspora or our society in general. We cannot let the “Moya khata z krayu” (my house is on the boundary) viewpoint be our “life plan.” The rewards of legacy building in our communities are meaningful and plentiful. We must always remember that our input and efforts as such create our legacy. Perhaps I chose this topic because I have attended several funerals in the recent past and became very aware of what family, friends, and colleagues remembered and shared about the de- ceased. The most recent one was after the passing of Iryna Zielyk, an accomplished artist and mem- ber of the Ukrainian community in a small town upstate New York. Ms. Zielyk left a legacy—to family: her niece remembered her sharing her artistic eye and encouraging the niece to view na- ture more perceptively, and this encouragement influenced the niece’s professional life; to friends: her elegant and generous nature warmed her friends’ lives whenever they came together; pro- fessionally: she left a collection of beautiful, ex- pressive paintings to be admired by future gener- ations; through community contributions: she was a longtime member of Branch 64 of the UN- WLA, a branch which shared its artistic and liter- ary talents with the NYC community for years; and lastly, knowing she was ill, Ms. Zielyk made sizeable contributions to her church and to the UNWLA Social Welfare Fund—to help both her community in the US and her fellow Ukrainians in her beloved fatherland. Ms. Zielyk had a “life map”; her “khata” was not “z krayu”! In my opin- ion, her life demonstrates that she chose the kind of life that she wanted to live, had a vision of the kind of world that she would ideally want to live in, valued human relationships, and believed in helping develop her community. What an inspir- ing example of a life well lived! What is our “life plan”? What will our “legacy” be? Warm wishes of health and happiness on the occasion of Mother’s Day to all mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers among the UNWLA membership! May your children and grandchildren always bring you feelings of pride and joy!
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