My Values: by Olga Kasian

My family - my support

313982_1 — 2024-02-01 14:42:31 UTC

Family is the most essential value in my life. The people with whom I spend every day educate me, teach me, and with whom I grow and develop. After moving to the USA, I felt even more the strong importance of family in my life. Moving to another country for the first time was the most difficult for me; I was lonely and unsure of what to do, but my parents and sister were the people who were by my side during this first transitional period. We went through these problematic steps together, and I can ride in that period. I felt how much support, love, and strength my family provides.

My uncle

313982_1 — 2024-02-01 14:43:32 UTC

For me, hard work is what pushes us to success; it is what shows our stubbornness and strength. Also, for me, hard work is the main step to success. Studying at school now and at college in a country where people don't communicate in my native language, I have to be hardworking, every task, every new conversation in English is a bunch of new words for me. I understand that by working hard, I will definitely reach the goal. Another good example of why hard work is an important value to me is because, looking at my relatives, even the example of my uncle who came to the USA all by himself without knowing anyone and working hard, he reached the top and now helps us to do the same.

Positive Psychology Story

313982_1 — 2024-02-01 14:44:42 UTC

Being grateful to life and people for what you have is what I value in people and what is important to me. I know how gratitude and respect can support a person. Last quarter I had a lesson in positive psychology in which I had the task of thanking a person whom I don't thank much. I wrote a letter to my mother with words of thanks and how much I appreciate and respect her. After reading these words to her, I saw how much these words changed her, and I even felt much better. Therefore, I believe that being grateful and saying it out loud are important actions.

Family/Relationship

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 15:28:17 UTC

Hard-working

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 15:28:43 UTC

Gratitude

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 15:29:29 UTC

The biggest fear

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:07:51 UTC

I will never forget this day, the day that changed my life, the beginning of the war in my country, panic and fear throughout the country. Our parents were super worried about my sister and my safety, so after living in fear of war for two weeks, we decided to move to a safer place because every minute in our house where we lived all our lives could be our last. So, hastily packing our bags and buying tickets, we went to Moldova, the nearest border country. I remember how we got on the bus those last minutes in our homeland. Now, it's like a dream but not like reality. The road was long and scary, we stopped almost every hour, because when entering a new city on the bus, there were checkpoints with security guards that checked cars and buses for danger, all these actions scared me even more and pressed fear on me. At one of these stops, we heard an explosion that was very close to us, a whistling sound of a rocket, and an explosion that you can hear, screams and fear. We were very lucky to be at a sufficient distance, but this fear will forever remain with me. From that moment on, I will not stop being grateful for life, for the fact that I can breathe and see and experience all these bright moments of life.

Narrative Planning "The biggest fear"

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:12:12 UTC

Plot Points

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:14:23 UTC

Characters

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:15:02 UTC

Reflectios and Themes

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:15:39 UTC

Dialogue

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:17:09 UTC

The checkpoint between the cities of Zinkiv and Okhtyrka, Poltava region (on the way to Moldova)

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:25:31 UTC

Checkpoints are points between cities set up for security during the war; when leaving or entering another city, every car was stopped, and documents, passengers, and dangerous items were checked. Our bus was stopped at this checkpoint, and during the check, an explosion occurred nearby in Okhtyrka.

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:30:21 UTC

The beginning of the war, the first siren

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:46:29 UTC

Everyone talked about planning a war in Ukraine, allegedly that Russia was already preparing an attack, but no one believed it and thought that it was just fiction or gossip. But one day, my mother woke me up at six in the morning with the words that the war had begun. Explosions began to be heard from afar; the news was covered with terrible pictures of bombed-out residential buildings, and the city started to play sirens from every rocket that flew nearby. Panic and chaos ensued.

The decision to move

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:51:08 UTC

Due to panic and fear, people began to quickly pack their bags and move to safe cities or even to other countries. My family is no exception, after living for two weeks in a situation when the panic of the war enveloped the whole country, my parents decided to move to another country.

My mom

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:53:37 UTC

My mother is very similar to me in character, she is also very emotional, so when the war started, her fear and panic doubled. She panicked and tried to take us to a safe place as soon as possible.

My sister (Nastya)

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 19:55:36 UTC

My sister is very balanced in character, she likes to always control everything. Therefore, in stressful situations, she is exactly the person who will calm the panic.

My dad

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 20:13:37 UTC

My dad is a big worrier who knows how to keep everything inside, but in moments of fear, even on his reserved face, you can see a sense of anxiety and danger.

Bus driver (Alexander)

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 20:18:38 UTC

I will forever remember his name, a person who, at his own peril and risk, transported frightened people by bus from Ukraine and occupied cities to safe cities. This man kept calm and bore great responsibility for all the people on the bus.

My character and emotionality

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 20:21:19 UTC

I am a very emotional person, I have expressed feelings and when I feel something it is like a double dose of these feelings.

How this situation changed me

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 20:32:16 UTC

This life situation changed my vision of the world. Since that moment, I try to remember and catch every bright moment of my life. Gratitude for the moments, for the people who are around, for the newly seen beautiful landscape, this is what we should appreciate. Such situations happen when your whole life flies before your eyes, when you think that this is your last minute, and this is exactly the situation that happened to me, which led me to understand the value of life.

The first message about the beginning of the war

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 20:45:17 UTC

My mother woke me up at 6 in the morning and informed me that the war was about to begin. This moment when I lift my heavy eyelids and my mother stands in front of me with tears and fear in her eyes. I see how her hands are holding, how she is trying to tell me something, something she doesn't want to say. You know the state when you are trying to tell some terrible news that can hurt a person to the very heart? It was him. And so, in a trembling and dry voice from fear, my mother tells me that the war has begun.

Conversation at the checkpoint

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 20:50:09 UTC

We all got out of the bus, it started to be carefully checked, a siren started and we all heard the whistle of an akeita and an explosion that was very close. The bus driver began to calm everyone down and try to find a safe place. He told us how to behave and showed all his responsibility that he bore for us.

Farewell to dad

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 20:52:17 UTC

When he put us on the bus, there were tears on his face, he understood that he was sending us on a dangerous road for our safety. The last words before a long separation were the hardest.

Narrative Brainstorming

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 21:08:43 UTC

The beginning of the war

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 21:11:07 UTC

My mother woke me up with the words that the war had begun; this moment will forever remain in my memory, because the feelings we felt with her were very deep.

The first siren

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 21:13:09 UTC

With the beginning of the war, constant sirens began, it was scary to hear the first one. Panic and anxiety were strong, something you had never felt before.

An explosion near us

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 21:14:57 UTC

Having moved to a safe place, at one of the checkpoints we heard an explosion that was very close to us. Fear and panic, immediately understanding the value of life and all moments.

The death of a friend

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 21:21:45 UTC

After moving to the US, it was hard to make friends. Having a completely different mentality and not knowing the language was a difficult part of my life. But at work I met a guy who became my first friend in a new country. He was a very funny person, a person who made me smile. But after 4 months of our friendship, one day on August 17, I received a phone call telling me that he had died. It was very difficult for me to accept it and go through it.

My first goal scored

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 21:25:43 UTC

I played handball for 7 years. This sport is a big part of my life, and my team and coach are like my second family. I started playing handball at the age of 9 and I still remember the first goal I scored. This is strong adrenaline, happiness and a rush of emotions that became an important moment in my life.

First performance on stage

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 21:31:59 UTC

In addition to handball, I also practiced dancing for 3 years. For me, public speaking was always scary and exciting. And it was dancing that helped me overcome this fear a little. I remember this performance, when my legs were shaking from fear and my hands were sweating from the fact that my legs were shaking. These feelings of overcoming adversity and humility are memorable and vivid.

First win in the game

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 21:34:16 UTC

As I already said, handball is a big and important part of my life and I remember the first victory of my team. It is excitement and happiness, love of the moment and enjoyment. Remembering this life story, I now feel all these emotions.

The first day at a new school

313982_1 — 2024-02-07 21:37:35 UTC

Moving was very exciting, and going to a new school was even more exciting and scary. I remember how I entered the large corridors of the school, realizing that this was all something new for me. New teachers, classmates, the language, all this scared me, but at the same time, it fascinated me. The first day at school, meeting new friends and teachers, will forever remain one of the brightest moments of my life.