Don't Complain. Think of Ukraine.

It's often difficult to drag myself out of bed when the sky is still dark and the outdoor temperature cold. 

This morning was no different. It wasn't yet 5 a.m., and my dogs were still sleeping peacefully nearby. As has happened so many times recently, my thoughts turned to the people of Ukraine.

The sunflower is the national flower of Ukraine.

I sleep in a comfortable bed, warmed by soft sheets and blankets. I know each night where I will sleep. People in Ukraine don't have that luxury. Their houses and apartments destroyed by Russian rockets and bombs, they struggle to find a safe place in a subway station or bomb shelter, where they try to sleep on the hard ground. Their children are frightened, cold and hungry.

When I get up, I know that I can take a hot shower. Too many Ukrainians don't even have running water, much less hot water for a bath or a shower. My dogs are safe going into my back yard before breakfast, which I am certain I can provide to them. 

What will I wear today of the many clothes in my closets and drawers? Do I need my heaviest winter coat, or will a lighter one suffice? For many in Ukraine, there is no choice. They wear what they were wearing when they had to flee their homes, or perhaps they can choose between a couple of outfits they grabbed on their way out the door. Their children may have one or two favorite toys, dolls or stuffed animals with them to keep them company as they now live in a world turned upside down. Everything and everyone they have known in their short lives is gone. Dad has stayed behind to fight the Russians. Mom is always crying. Where are Grandma and Grandpa?

I can go outside without fear of being bombed or shot simply for walking down the street. When I see a beautiful red sunrise, I know that it is simply Mother Nature's handiwork and not the result of nearby buildings -- schools, hospitals, food storage depots -- set ablaze by Russian rockets.

What will I eat for breakfast today? Cereal? Hot or cold? Yogurt? Toast? Do I want it with butter, or with peanut butter or jam? Eggs? Turkey bacon? Vegetarian sausage? Waffles? Granola bars? What kind of tea shall I make? Perhaps, since it's cold outside, I will have a bowl of hot soup. 

I put my phone on the charger and woke up my computer. It's a given that the electricity will continue to work when I flip the light switch. Many in Ukraine have had no electricity for weeks. Imagine huddling in an underground shelter with no heat, no lights. 

I went grocery shopping on Friday morning, and there were quite a few empty shelves. But food, while expensive, is still abundant and readily available. I don't have to wonder where I will get my next meal. Thanks to the wonderful World Central Kitchen (https://wck.org), many in Ukraine and those who have managed to cross the border into Poland and nearby countries can get hot food. World Central Kitchen has so far served 1 million meals to those affected by the war on Ukraine.

If I need medical care, I can make an appointment and be see pretty quickly. The medical offices and hospitals I use are not at risk of being bombed. 

I am heartbroken every time I read about or watch a news report about the suffering of the Ukrainian people. And I am frustrated that I can do nothing to help from afar. I have donated to the united Nations World Food Program, which is providing food in Ukraine, and I will donate soon to the World Central Kitchen. I check in on my friend in Ukraine. I offer prayers for the people of Ukraine and their leaders. That is not enough, but it is all I can do from afar.

And now, when I catch myself starting to complain, I stop and think about those in Ukraine. Please join me in doing whatever you can to help.

Don't complain. Think about Ukraine.