a little goes a long way

This is the first time I missed my bi-weekly Friday slot to send out my Butterflies. It’s also the first time we ever took in a refugee family. 

After weeks of feeling overwhelmed and helpless looking at the terrible war in Ukraine, we had an opportunity to make a difference for someone in need – and it turned out to be one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve ever had. We had registered on several platforms at the beginning of the war, offering a room for a small family, but the moment I received several Whatsapps from strangers asking whether they could stay with us made me quite nervous. Was I underestimating the support they would need? Would the kids get along and be able to communicate despite not speaking English? What if they don’t know where to go next when we have to free up the room for my mother in law next week?

It was surreal to pick up Nastyia, her six-year-old daughter Alissa and the grandmother Marina from the train station, but only up to the moment when they immediately hugged and thanked us. It also felt surreal to shed tears when they were picked up by the new family we found for them via a Linkedin post a couple of days later. They are going to stay in Zurich with a lovely family that has a daughter of the same age, speaks Russian and can offer them their own apartment for a longer period of time. 

Now I’m sitting at my desk, the house is quiet again (yes, the kids are at daycare 😉 and I’m letting my emotions sink in. 

Last week, I’ve cried with strangers at my dinner table when they showed me the street next to their house where everything has been bombed and burned to the ground. Last week I’ve also been to the hairdresser for the first time in a year. I went to the gym and for a run several times, worked for my company and took the kids to their first 300m race. Last week was also the week where my dad had to go to the hospital and we were quite worried about his health. 

At times it feels strange to plan vacations, post business related stuff on Linkedin or deal with your everyday struggles while people are fleeing a country not far away. But it is not either caring about the war OR our continuing to live our normal lives. It is war AND life goes on. Everyone has to find a way of integrating those topics or sometimes even shielding themselves to make things work. 

For anyone who feels like they have capacity to help (financially, by hosting or in any other way) without compromising their health or other duties, I put together a Wiki with help from friends to collect important information for both hosts and refugees in English. It contains both information relevant to Switzerland and in general. It is featured in a box below. 

Wishing you a wonderful week and the opportunity to spread some love and support within your circles. A little goes a long way. 

Lots of love, 
Tanja

This text was first published in my though-letter Tanja’s Butterflies (March Edition 2022 – Part 2). If you are interested in receiving the next editions in your inbox with additional resources, you can subscribe here.