Drawn reports in the form of the portraits - war in Ukraine. November 4-11, 2022.

November 3-10, 2022. Days 253 - 261 of war.
My parents are continuing their life as refugees these days we talk a lot about all sorts of exotic plants that my Mom finds on their walks. There are citrus trees, pomegranates, and a lot of things we haven't identified yet. Some seeds that Mom picked up opened overnight and were photographed 100 times. Leaves are drying in between pages and a little bouquet is on the table - I see it when we talk. Every day they are walking a little bit further, sometimes a little too much, but mostly progressing with caution. Just a couple of days ago they made it to the apartment where they stayed during the first week and had a chance to talk to a friend they made there. 

In the first of these portraits, I did not get a chance to finish Mom's face as they had guests over and the screen was filled with a lot of people. We had a blast talking as a group! And it played a huge role in lifting the mood of my parents. My parents are surrounded by wonderful care and this together with being in a safe place made a remarkable difference in both their physical and mental health - even within these little three weeks since they started their journey.

Dad is talking about getting back on the bicycle. We discuss ways in which Ukraine will be rebuilding itself, Mom thinks that people will have to share housing for some time, and Dad thinks that there will be an initiative to build something temporary. So much of the housing and infrastructure is damaged! But people are fixing things even now. 

I get a set of new Ukrainian words every time we talk, my parents speak in Ukrainian only during their walks and also often at home. Re-building a habit of using a language is not easy but they are making visible progress and are making me work even more. Which is wonderful.