“I can’t leave this behind”. She wailed.
“But why? It’s not easy to lug it around, when movement is uncertain.”
“My grandma enjoyed the outdoors with us on this chair – in the garden, on the beach and wherever our fancy would take us.”
“I’m sure you don’t want her to see fire raining from a war-torn sky.”
“She already did. She is no more with us.”
He looked pensive. They’ll carry essentials to be refugees in a foreign land, but the memories of more will always haunt.
Grandma won’t be happy seeing us like this, with or without the chair.
Reena Saxena 
The TV images of broken-hearted refugees fleeing Ukraine stays with me. Especially touching is where the family have their dog or cat with them. Poor country. Your story captures the feeling well.
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Thank you, Margaret!
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An interesting take on the impossible decisions of war. And fleeing. And the shifting priorities of life and memory.
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Thank you, Na’ama!
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War is a terrible thing, indeed. Great story.
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Thank you, Linda!
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A quick call to Marie Kondo might help. Interesting dilemma. Well done, Reena.
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Marie Kondo or Judith Rasband – they do give a perspective on things.
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They do. 🙂
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It must be so hard to live in times of war. Well written.
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Thank you, Sally! “In peace, sons bury their fathers. In war, fathers bury their sons.” – Herodotus
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Reena,
What terrible choices to have to make, what to bring and what to leave. You see images of refugees with the oddest things but there is memories and value attached to things that we cannot see. Who knows what I would take in that situation. Sad, but I loved the story.
-David
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Thank you, David! An Indian student returning from Ukraine brought his cat along.
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Such a sad story, in such sad times.
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The saddest part is our helplessness – we watched Afghanistan go, and now Ukraine.
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This was very impactful and touching. Keep up you’re amazing work!
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Thanks for the encouragement, Brianna Marie!
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Reena, very difficult to read this one. Good write on a tragic subject.
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Thank you, Lisa!
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You’re welcome.
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Such a touching piece of writing and someone in Ukraine is living this as their reality….right now.
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The reality is heart-wrenching. Thank you, Anne!
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What a tough choice refugees face.
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Starting from scratch after abandoning an established life can’t be easy.
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Indeed it’s very difficult
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Heart rendering decisions in time of conflict must be soul destroying.
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True that. Thank you, James!
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The sadness is palpable in this story. Well told
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Thank you, Michael!
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Deciding what to leave must be heart-wrenching
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Obviously. Thank you, Neil!
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Touching
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Thank you!
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