I often wonder why and how we as humans are compelled to mobilize and what moves us. I’ve only done two GoFundMe’s in my life, but have participated in other fundraisers, mainly for my local school. Today I am doing one to support Ukrainian refugees, a few years ago I did one for a Pakistani family who lost everything in a home fire.

I have noticed that many feel this war is “over there” or a group of displaced European people. As a Gen-X student of life, I don’t see it that way. Perhaps because I have a distinct memory of being in middle school, with my Sony Walkman, listening to Sting sing about Gorbachev “If the Russians love their children too.” The threat of global nuclear bombardment was real.

From my perspective, I see this war Russia is waging on Ukraine as a threat to all of Europe and the world, on many levels and we cannot tackle other issues coherently until it subsides. Europe takes in refugees from every corner of our globe and has now seen three times the amount of refugees from Ukraine than Syria. I have Russian relatives as well as Ukrainian relatives, and I truly hope the innocent citizens of Russia are helped with the PTSD of not supporting the destruction of innocent civilians in Ukraine, and the sanctions imposed on them. I think many of us can relate to being identified with being war-mongers and not wanting to be blamed for wars we do not support. The innocent civilians on all sides of the borders will need support, mentally and physically.

Therefore, in a nutshell, this is why I feel compelled to help as much as I can with people I know on the ground there, and whom I trust will put it to the best use. We often don’t think about what we would do and what we would need in such a situation. What if we had to pick up and leave without diapers for our babies, formula, family members who need insulin, our grandparents who need medications. The heros at the borders provide the simple and necessary products of daily life.

I’m listening to Sting again, not in a nostalgic way, but in a way that I hope goes beyond the border of countries, generations, and minds.

https://gofund.me/07ff814b