Cold War

I was born during what’s known as the Cold War between Russia and the United States, which started 75 years ago next week and lasted until one month before I got married at age 26, the age my older daughter is now. Every day of my life as a child (pictured) was spent with that phrase looming.

When talking about World Wars 1 and 2 (which my friends and I did a LOT as all our parents “grew up during the Depression” and were either immigrants or 1st generation Americans*), an inevitable mention of World War 3 would come up. And then there’d be the predictable ha ha, there won’t be a 3 followed by a knowing nod. Because, you know, nuclear. It would be over for all of us. This was simply understood.

And today, March 4th, march forth, my favorite day of the year, I woke up to read that Russia has taken control of the largest nuclear plant in Europe. And so I’m, shall we say, a little bit triggered.

I will, of course, ride today. And I’ll plant. And I’ll pray.

And I’ll trust the journey.

Somehow.

Some way.

*My family came from Czechoslovakia and Ireland. My husband’s family came from several other Eastern European and Middle East countries. Our family includes three different religious backgrounds.