Front Porch: War in Ukraine a reminder of how connected we all are

Note: I am writing these words almost a week before they’re appearing in print, when Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is just a week old, and the nation has not fallen. I hope Ukraine’s blue and yellow flag is still flying over government buildings in Kyiv.)

I think one of my grandfathers came from Ukraine.

A number of decades ago, a cousin shared with me a census record from the early 1930s, which gave information about our grandparents, who were living in the South Bronx with their many children, one of whom was my mother. Following our grandfather’s name, Russia was listed as his country of origin.

He died before I was born, so I never knew him. But I had heard stories of this larger-than-life personality, with a flair for grand gestures, great sense of humor and ability to speak several languages.

I also had heard that he was German. Because my maternal grandmother was Austrian and my father was born in Germany, it was easy to believe that everyone in my background was German or Germanic. Almost true.

My mother was one of the younger children in the family, so when her oldest brother came from New York to visit her in Spokane, I asked him about two things – the spelling of their last name, which was decidedly un-Russian, and where his father, my grandfather, came from.

All Uncle Charlie could remember was that when he was a boy, mail would come to their apartment with a return address showing a last name similar to theirs, but spelled differently. Whether that was an issue of translation from Cyrillic script to Latin or whether, during my grandfather’s immigration process, the name was written down incorrectly (and, hence, permanently changed), my uncle didn’t know.

But he did recall that the postmark on the letters was from Ukraine. He wasn’t sure, but he thought, from Odessa (now spelled Odesa by Ukrainians). They were probably from family members, my uncle suggested.

This hardly substitutes for proper genealogical research, but it’s not too much of a leap to give it credence. And if it’s so, then I no doubt have extended family there, rather distantly removed, through both time and geography.

But closer to home – today there are some 30,000 Ukrainians living in Spokane County, likely a handful of whom were the purchasers of a number of building lots across the road behind my house several years ago. They built homes there, a process taking several years to complete, and some of which is still underway. I think, but don’t know for sure, that family members have moved into some of the houses, while others have been sold.

When I learned the names of the purchasers of the lots, they all appeared to me to be Russian. One of my sons has lived and worked in many areas around the world, including eastern Europe, and once, when he was home and I showed him the names, he told me they were probably Ukrainian.

I had been unaware that the ending letters of Russian last names varied from Ukrainian’s, as well as there being other spelling differences.

So Ukrainians are my neighbors, literally, but other than a wave or casual remark in our occasional passing (ours isn’t an especially walkable neighborhood), we don’t know one another.

Like with most everyone in our neighborhood, we hardly know anyone beyond who lives one or two houses away. I’m not proud of that, especially now.

But the need to do something is strong. I have begun making financial donations to groups assisting with Ukrainian relief efforts. A few days ago, my friend Marie shared with me some lengths of yellow ribbon and blue ribbon, as she was making awareness ribbons with the colors of the Ukrainian flag. In face of the enormity of what’s happening, this isn’t a big or important thing for us to do, but I’ve now made a few, as well, and am wearing one to show support whenever I leave the house.

My own possible personal connection to the country or the fact that Ukrainians live next door doesn’t make the awfulness that’s taking place in Ukraine any more poignant or personal, but it does underline for me how truly connected we all are, all across the world, in one way or another. Whether we know it or not.

Voices correspondent Stefanie Pettit can be reached by email at upwindsailor@comcast.net.