How the War Turned My World Upside Down: A Schoolgirl’s Reflections on Peace, Future, and Hope
War is an event that changes everything around us: the outside world, our plans and, most importantly, our inner psychological state. With the beginning of a full-scale invasion, each of us began to think differently, there were more worries about ourselves and those around us. So I would like to share my feelings with the readers.
I have always been an incredibly emotional person. But the emotions were mostly positive, maybe also due to the fact that at that time I was quite a child. I really didn’t care about anything that didn’t concern me; I just enjoyed life – that was the only thing I needed at that time. If we compare with the present time, I am certainly not an exception to the rules, the war is what turned my childhood inner world upside down. Anxiety, apathy… Daily news, fear for oneself and relatives create emotional pressure that is sometimes very difficult to withstand. I began to understand the meaning of the saying: “You need to appreciate what you already have.” Constant stress began to complicate life, forcing me to ask myself more and more questions every day. What awaits our people in the future? When will it end? What to do next? How can I help not only myself, but also the country? What future awaits me? Despite this, I have more internal discipline, I try to keep my mind calm even in stressful situations. Although, to be honest, it doesn’t always work out. I think growing up and becoming more aware of the situation played a big role here, but somehow the war really changed me.
Has the relationship with relatives or friends changed? I will answer that not very much. Being an empath, I always tried to sympathize and support those who needed it. I am always ready to help everyone whom I love and care about from the bottom of my heart. This is especially true of my parents, without whom I cannot imagine my life now. For me, family is the only and main source of stability and support. But relations with teachers have undergone some changes. Communication became more informal, more mutual understanding appeared. Teachers are also people who have their own experiences and feelings (unfortunately, not all students realize this fact and consider them, roughly speaking, “robots”).
With the start of a full-scale invasion, and even before, some dialogue with friends, specifically with friends, can feel a little strained. But misunderstandings can arise anywhere and anytime. This is an uncontrollable phenomenon, because all people are different, with different opinions. Thus, even through conflicts, my friends and I understand each other more, which makes our relationship stronger. With my parents, the relationship is consistently good, we communicate a lot and solve problems together.
As I mentioned above, family and home are the only place of peace for me, where I feel myself as I am. It is with my relatives that I can be completely calm and confident that no one will judge me. Unfortunately, now society, especially teenagers, have become very aggressive (there are of course exceptions), so you should not expect support from them. Thankful to fate, I am lucky to have one beautiful friend with whom I can sometimes share my thoughts and experiences. But still, family remains in the first place for me.
You know, the war changed my “sketches” for the future quite a lot. The war brought a lot of uncertainty, and now we have to adapt to new conditions. From a professional point of view, approaches to work have changed. Many things have to be done remotely or to look for new opportunities for development. It also made me think about further education and the possibility of gaining new skills that will be useful in the future.
In terms of life plans, the war taught us to appreciate what used to be commonplace. It became clear that stability and security are the basis for any plans, and now the priority is to protect your loved ones and support each other. Dreams and plans for the future have become more flexible, because life during wartime forces one to be prepared for unforeseen circumstances.
Now, in this difficult time for our country, each of us dreams of a peaceful future. The war changed our lives, forced us to revise our plans, accept difficulties and fight for a better tomorrow. I am sure that the victory will come soon. Our native Ukraine will prosper, and the people will once again experience the beauty of life in peacetime. Everyone will be able to have fun to their heart’s content, no one will remember alarms or explosions. Fireworks, holidays, flowers, colors! Ukraine will overcome all obstacles and everything will be fine as a result. No! Everything will be much better than good…
Violetta Terkhanova
