(“UE‘‘). — The Communists controlUkraine, our country’s spirit withers with the slow eradication of our history, language, and culture. The year is 1929, I am seven years old and I hear talk of a depression; work and food have become scarce. As I manage to scrape by, many perish; Stalin’s induced famine has killed millions of my fellow Ukrainians. With the conclusion of my second grade education, I return to the land; it needs my back and hands. Ten tough years have passed and World War II is imminent, despair lies on the horizon. I watch many of my friends disappear as they are pulled into the abyss of battle. What am I to do? Shall I fight with the Soviet regime, which is systematically dismantling my beloved home, or fight under mad dog Hitler, who has promised to “liberate‘‘Ukraine. I seek out a third solution, I run and hide. I leave my family at the age of seventeen; I will never see them again. I lock the memories of war away, yet I know that they shape the time I have left breathing. I escape toEnglandand am immensely relieved to find that I have met a wonderful people. I have food to eat, shoes to stand in, and a place to work.Liverpoolis home to a growing Ukrainian community and I have the chance to befriend many and laugh again.Englandtreats me well, but I desire a more stable life, I am going to pursue new opportunities be found inCanada.RedLakebecomes my new home; it is a small mining town inNorthern Ontario,Canada. The incredibly cold, negative forty degree climate welcomes me and my wife. Every day I descend a mile below the earth’s surface. A helmet rests on my head, a pickaxe is strapped to my back, and I carry a worn metal lunch pail in my hand. I work my body hard every day, but the pay is good, and I can support my young daughter and son. Two co-workers fall to the dangers of the mine and my friend Steve loses his arm, while another named Mike loses an eye. This is my life; this is what I must do. I have earned enough to ensure my children are educated and so that my wife will enjoy stability even after my death. For the last years of my life, I lay in my bed, my body too tired and broken to function. I embrace death’s presence, as I know I have done all that I could have.
All humans suffer at one point or another throughout their lifetime, but not all accept loss easily, some lose spirit. My grandfather had an incredibly resilient spirit. Most of his life was comprised of incredibly harsh circumstances, yet he managed to avoid faltering in the face of oppression, poverty, and displacement. He accepted the life he had been forced to lead and did all that was necessary to make the most out of it. Unfortunately, I did not have a great deal of time to form a strong relationship with him. I can only remember a frail and exhausted man lying in the comfort of his own bed. The type of lifestyle I have been provided today relies heavily on the effort and perspective of my grandfather. He was a man that carried a lunch pail to work. Every day he would open his pail during break, eat his meticulously placed lunch, and then return to mining in the dark shaft that surrounded him. When my father became a young boy, he discovered that not all of his friend’s fathers carried a lunch pail to work. He was surprised to see that some of these men wore suits even when it was not a church day. My grandfather worked his body to complete exhaustion so that my father would not have to be a man who carried a lunch pail to work. He wanted for my father to receive an education, pursue a higher quality of life, and to raise a healthy family of his own. I live a comfortable and easy going lifestyle because of what my grandfather provided for my father. Consider what you have been gifted and realize how fortunate you are. We take much of what we have for granted, and often complain about our education and schooling. Be humble and remember the pains of those who have suffered much more than you have. Yes, we become troubled from time to time, but it is critical to remain strong and resilient.
Never give up the fight.
Mark Stefanyshyn is a senior high school student residing inRochester,Michigan. He was born inWiesbaden,Germanyand has since lived inCanada, theUnited States of America, andAustralia. The rich Ukrainian culture has been emphasized by Mark’s parents through his life. He believes there is much to learned from his family’s past.
Initially the Stefanyshyn family lived inOshawa,Ontario.
