You Don't Know What War Is: The Diary of a Young Girl from Ukraine

It’s completely dark outside. With every day that passes I start hating the night more and more. I don’t want the sun to disappear below the horizon but, sadly, that’s not in my control. Evenings are full of the unknown and engulf me in fear.

But the fewer people who know what war is, the better we’ll all be. The world would be a happier place, because there’s nothing worse than war.

I had a wonderful dream last night. I dreamt of my school . . . and, most importantly, of a peaceful sky. My friends and I were running around, carefree. It felt like the good old days. . . . I wish things weren’t the way they are now. I’m so tired of the sound of explosions; I really want to hear the sounds of peacetime again—birds singing and the sound of rain. It was so nice before the war. . . I want to go back to my old life.

We got the little wood burner going, and it’s my job to tend the fire. I keep telling myself it’s important to look for the positive, no matter how bad it gets. For now, I’ll just enjoy watching the firewood burning in the furnace. We sit around it to keep each other company. It’s not so scary when we’re together.

How many lives has this war taken already, and how many more is it yet to claim?

A peaceful sky – what else can you ask for?

normal rules don’t apply during war time.

We can’t remember our old dreams any more, or all the things we thought to be important. We can’t recall our old arguments or troubles. All of those past concerns just don’t matter. When there’s a war going on, you’ve only got one goal – staying alive. Everything that seemed hard or bad in the past, becomes trivial. You’re afraid for the lives of your loved ones and every day is interrupted by the sound …