I shared a train compartment with two women who volunteered as paramedics in the Ukraine Armed Forces in 2022. They were heading back to their units after a brief visit home.

They insisted on feeding me food their mothers had cooked, pyrizhky with poppyseeds.

I sometimes think that after everything I’ve witnessed in Ukraine, I’ve exhausted my capacity for tears. But that simple act of generosity broke through the numbness. I’m grateful it did.

A small plea: notice the people around you. Sharing, at the right moment, is powerful.