Vera Sytch's Posts
May I come with you?
Sometimes what we consider burdens turn out to be blessings. Take the day I wanted to go for a bike ride alone in Kopychyntsi, my husband's hometown in Ukraine - and the town my father was born in. My daughter Kalyna begged to go with me, but I wanted to go by myself.
"I'll be stopping a lot to take pictures," I warned her, knowing how she dislikes my constant picture taking. "Pictures of houses..."
...and street scenes..."
...and people."
I don't want to hear any complaints about how much I stop, and that I take too many pictures!"
I hoped this would discourage her, but Kalyna agreed not to complain, so I reluctantly let her come with me - but only to the end of the street. Or so I thought.
When we arrived at the end of the street, we were, unexpectedly, at the very edge of town. Beyond were open fields.
Kalyna accompanied me down the bumpy dirt road and continued to explore with me. Soon we were far from the town in the middle of extensive fields - fields of wheat and corn and barley.
"May I pick some of the wildflowers?" Kalyna asked. Here were the wild poppies that I'd heard so much about from my parents, the wildflowers of the Old Country.
When she'd picked a large bouquet of flowers, Kalyna asked, "Do you know how to make a wreath out of flowers?" A wreath of flowers worn on the head is part of the traditional Ukrainian costume.
By now I'd come to enjoy Kalyna's company. We were both enchanted by this isolated place we'd found, a place right out of the childhood stories I'd grown up with, stories of Cossacks on horseback and war and young maidens. I wove a wreath of flowers, which Kalyna proudly wore.
We rode on through the fields in what felt like the middle of nowhere, exploring a land I'd heard so much about as a child. Suddenly we came across a woman walking through the fields towards a small, brightly painted blue house. It was the only house in sight.
"Come in, come in," the woman invited us. "Have some coffee. I dreamt that I'd have guests today!"
Like most Ukrainians, she was extremely hospitable. While I drank coffee, Kalyna played with kittens and the woman chatted with me — and discovered my husband and her son were acquaintances!
This ride with Kalyna, which I started out grudgingly, is one of my favorite memories of the summer.
