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Our Life | Наше життя November | Листопад 2020 22 down possible sources of wheat in New York State (for the creation of the virtual model of the sculp - ture), or pitching in for the last-minute, late-night edit of my speech at the dedication of the memo- rial on November 6, 2015. Throughout this long and often arduous process, I also knew that I could always count on the bedrock support of family, notably my sister, Olenka Dobczan- ska. Throughout my life, Olenka has been my “go-to person” for solid advice. Her early and sober en- dorsement of my disappearing wheat concept was extremely important. She was the in-house editor of most of the memorial explanatory text, ably translating the language of “archi-speak” into com- prehensible English. I could call her anytime to talk about a new development, to lament a setback, or to celebrate a step forward. Olenka’s van transport - ed the sheaves of wheat, a variety similar in form to the wheat grown in Ukraine, from Canada to Wash- ington, DC, in 2012, and then again, one year later, from DC to the Laran Foundry in Chester, PA, where the sculpture was being formed. However, the woman that I thank most, my greatest cheerleader and supporter, is my mother, the late Olha Kurylas. Throughout the full six-year process, she was eager to be kept informed about every detail, from pipedream to realization. Being able to explain the blow-by-blow process during our daily phone conversations, Tuesday dinners, and Sunday after-church excursions brought me stability and, at times, catharsis. Wheat stalks were an essential element of the me- morial’s design, and genuine stalks were necessary to photograph for the creation of a virtual model of the sculpture. The final design was not approved until July 2012, by which time sources of wheat in America were hard to find. As we commiserated about my wheat stalk dilemma, my mother sud- denly remembered her cousin Mykhailo Kaminsky, owner of a large wheat farm in Manitoba, Canada. She called Uncle Mike immediately, who was more than willing to harvest by hand and then dry three sheaves of wheat and await my arrival. The true testament to my mother’s strength of character came in October when I could finally break free to travel to Canada. On the morning of our planned departure, I received a frightening call from my 91-year-old mother that she had fallen. We spent the day in the emergency room, and at 5 p.m., the doctor provided test results: two bro- ken ribs and a bruised kidney. Somewhat sheepish - ly, I asked if there would be any prohibition against travel, to which the doctor replied, “Only pain.” So, armed with painkillers, we were off on our seven-day road trip to Canada and back. My moth - er was thrilled to go, never complained, and was better entertainment with her engaging life stories, insights, and conversation than any radio station. If I could use only one word to describe my mother, I would say nebayduzha . She truly cared. I can only be grateful for the personal support and encouragement I received during this project. The power of the sisterhood sustained me throughout. One truth is clear: without my sisters, my project for the National Holodomor Memorial would have never been built. Thank you, all. Olenka Dobczanska Marta Kolomayets Natalia Karbowska Olha Kurylas Continued from page 21 Photo: Ukrainian Women’s Fund Photo: Fulbright-Ukraine
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