I am sorry that I have not posted for a while. My heart is heavy for the suffering of the Ukrainians. 
My words seem inadequate to describe the anguish I feel for the people of Ukraine.
I wish I could do something more that would ease some suffering.
I wish I could cradle and comfort the exhausted Ukrainian mothers and children rushing to safety in my arms and give them some of my strength to carry on.
Furthermore, I feel so powerless, and I am sure many of you feel the same. February was already a difficult, grief-filled month for me, with the death anniversary of my son and my mother.
I had originally planned to write about my trip to Baden Baden, Germany, where I went looking for some distraction with the soothing waters of their famous thermal spa. Now it would seem very inappropriate.
This evil reign of terror, totally orchestrated by Putin, on the innocent peoples and country of Ukraine has sidelined me.
Recent bloodshed in Armenia, Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Myanmar, have too anguished me.
This war comes at a time when you and I are both feeling battered by the loss of life of millions from Covid and now this.
I now find myself depressed and in despair, over the unimaginable horror, this evil man has unleashed on these struggling Ukrainians and threatening WWIII.
As a spiritual soul who chooses to be optimistic during my own painful trials and tribulations, I currently feel overwhelmed and sickened by the desolation and pain of the Ukrainian people.
I believe in the power of prayer, and know that my own mere prayers join a chorus of millions around the world pleading God to save the Ukrainian people from further destruction and deaths.
What more can be done to stop this insanity without provoking Putin to unleash further widespread destruction, as he has threatened to do?
Europeans, remembering the vast destruction of their cities and loss of life during WWII, are hoping that American and European plus other countries’ sanctions can thwart this hideous war and prevent WWIII.
As a therapist, I am pessimistic that these sanctions can change the evil convictions and plans that Putin has been nurturing and strategically planning against Ukraine and the West.
Sociopaths can only be stopped, not coerced into a change of heart. His delusions of personal grandeur and paranoid beliefs are not open to change, either.
Putin is a serial assassin whose wicked intent to murder his opponents have already taken place not only in Russia but outside in other countries.
He has a network of infiltrates that carry out poisonings and killings at his will, most recently seen in Britain, and with Alexis Navalny.
He seems to have been percolating evil revengeful thoughts against his perceived enemies who have voiced opposition to his dictatorship.
Furthermore, he appears to have an obsession of fixed paranoid delusions of the “West”, meaning America, Europe and their allies.
World leaders who have met and spoken with him often, most recently President Macron of France, have described Putin as recently coming across “different.”
Photos of him at one end of a very long table and others, including his own defense ministers parked quite a distance at the other end, are strikingly indicative of his paranoia.
If his facial puffiness has been caused by steroids as theorized, he could be displaying delusional and paranoid cognition as a result of steroid abuse.
I remember well a young patient who had delusional and paranoid thinking secondary to chronic steroid abuse used to build muscle.
Whatever is at play in his twisted mind, his need for self-aggrandizement has no limits, and his aggressive behavior threatens the whole planet with nuclear war.
We are aware that we and our families could also be in those heart-rendering images of fear and desperation. The world is not safe and we are all at risk of war, plagues, and natural disasters.
Yes, the majority of us witnessing are powerless. We can’t march over to Ukraine and fight, nor can many of us even travel to neighboring countries to offer front-line help.
If you have room to spare in your home, you can offer to lodge Ukrainian refugees that have made it to your country. If you can, donate money; whatever you can afford.
You and I can all pray with vigor and with persistence that the Ukrainian people and their country can be saved. We can pray that all Ukrainians displaced by this evil war can return home sometime soon and have the strength to rebuild their lives.
It is also a time to look at your own life and give thanks for living in a democracy and that you are not facing an invasion or having to hide in basements and bunkers.
Fellow countrymen from my own birth country have no memories or direct accounts from their elders about war on their native land of America.
Europeans do. The whole northern soil of France has been soaked with the blood of many thousands of soldiers who fought during the Franco-Prussian war in 1870, WWI, 1914- 1918, and WWII from 1939 to 1945.
Driving around Normandy and towards the east to the killing fields around Verdun, Metz, and beyond to the little towns of Forbach, and Sarreguemines near the German border, you will find many military cemeteries for American soldiers and allies from various countries but also German and Russian.
These shattering reminders are why Europeans aren’t hawkish like some Americans and are more reticent toward taking actions that would provoke WWIII.
While a part of me would like to directly fight back with whatever means to destroy this Hitler-like deranged man, my awareness is that it could escalate his violence.
I hang on hopes that sanctions and negotiations will eventually detour his evil assault. Yet, the question is when and how long can we wait?
We all have our own ways of handling fears, threats of danger, and world catastrophes.
There aren’t any bona fide self-help books or therapy to sugarcoat the horrors of war we are seeing in the actual reality of our world.
All of those who are fleeing Ukraine and those left to fight will suffer from varying intensities of PTSD and will need long-term mental health care.
You and I are in shock too in witnessing this evil being played out through modern technology that delivers unimaginable images to our living rooms.
Give yourself permission to weep, to grieve, and feel sad for those who must leave with children in tow. It could be you.
There is no reason to try to deny or make things lighter in the face of this devastating tragedy unfolding in front of our eyes.
You and I are not robots, and we were given human emotions to feel and be expressed without apologies.
Donate and pray with all your heart!
Cherry, I empathize with your sentiments.
As a Veteran who spent the better part of 3 years in Vietnam . . . a war that the U.S. government later admitted that we as a nation should not have been engaged in . . . I have experienced it first hand. One of my ships, the USS Edson fired over 22,000 rounds of 5″ shells in a 7 moth period. Fortunately, I didn’t have to fight out in the boondocks or have to clean up the carnage after combat encounters. Age puts a lot of things into more realistic perspective from that of young, patriotic guys caught up in the actions of the moment during war time.
We’ve seen the same similar scenarios in the unwarranted U.S. invasion of Iraq . . . instead they should have just killed Saddam instead of literally destroying a civilization and wreaking the deaths, maiming, and miseries upon millions of people and draining our national wealth by TRILLIONS of dollars. Afghanistan was very similar; they should have just focused their efforts in killing Ben Laden. The initiators of most wars are inherently bad and just plain evil, lusting for power and fortunes . . . it is the average citizens and military people who pay the ultimate price for it all.
I firmly believe that ANYONE who initiates a war without a legitimate basis is GUILTY of CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. They should suffer the ultimate punishment of death . . . but even that cannot make up for what all they have done against humanity.
No Putin appears to be emulating Hitler in a very similar similar ways . . . he is starting with one innocent country; but who knows what his ultimate intent may be? It is said that he wants to restore the old Soviet empire. What might he do after or as a part of his unwarranted invasion of Ukraine?
The dilemma is whether the Free World supports Ukraine WITHOUT military intervention OR responds with militarily actions to challenge Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, which might erupt into a WW III. If only the Free World had challenged Hitler back in the 1930s; it might have averted WW II . . . but the politicians held back until it was too late. Now we have somewhat of an different situation that is similar but different.
Putin is a sociopathic bully who will not stop until he is forced to do so. The big question is whether we confront the bully on the battle field or not . . . and risks expansion of the war into the surrounding countries. The critical question is will the modern day Russian people rise up against Putin?
Personally,I am not confident as to what should be done; but I lean more into militarily supporting the Ukrainian people . . . that involves all sorts of risks AND I am not one of those young American military soldiers who will be risking being maimed or killed on the battle field; but something has to be done.
The economic sanctions will take time . . . many months and/or years . . . to be effective; and there is no guarantee how effective that will be. Meanwhile the Russians are going to utterly demolish Ukraine and subjugate, dominate, and kill the Ukrainian people. How can the rest of the world just standby and allow this to occur just because the Bully Putin threatens that he will expand the war . . . like with Hitler prior to WW II, perhaps an ounce of prevention and intervention may save 100 tons of costs of war later. And there is always the potential nuclear consideration.
And under that scenario then what will be the case when Kim in North Korea develops intercontinental nuclear missile capability . . . an ounce of prevention is prudent, huh?
. . . man’s inhumanities towards mankind . . . the ultimate crime.
We need to do all that we can to support the Ukrainian people. Prayers a nice; but we need to do more than just pray . . .
Thank you David for sharing your own combat stories in Vietnam. I share your philosophy around Putin and his power-hungry thirst to conquer more than Ukraine. The leaders of the Baltic countries have been warning us for a long time about Putin about their own fears of being on his list for invasion.
I keep hoping someone in his inner circle or in his country would turn on him and remove him from destroying the world. The world hasn’t recovered from Covid and now this threat looms over all our heads.
It is definitely hard to sit by and wait for our sanctions to weaken his country to the point of him retreating from his inhumane war. The Russians are being closed off to the reality of the violence he has plunged their country into.
I hope there will be a breaking point, but I think he would rather escalate into further destruction of the world, rather than retreat or admit defeat.
Unfortunately we Americans, and the rest of the world, are going to incur additional horrific financial costs of this war, over and above what we are already experiencing from the pandemic. But these costs are necessary to financially combat Putin and his unwarranted and inhumane war against Ukraine.
The financial costs of the economic sanctions is less expensive than military action; but meanwhile the country and people of Ukraine are being decimated. I don’t understand the U.S. being against Poland giving the Ukrainians those Russian jets that the Ukrainian pilots can fly. Why aren’t we helping the Ukrainians in every possible way?
We will all go through a lot of financial stress because of all of this . . . BUT it is nothing in comparison to what the people of Ukraine are enduring . . . and that will surely continue to worsen to unimaginable conditions.
The American people just need to “tighten our belts” to do our part. That is the least that we can do.
I would imagine that the US was concerned that their approval of Poland giving aircraft would be interpreted as attacking Russia militarily via an accomplice.
Polls in here in France indicate that the French would agree wholeheartedly to higher prices of foods and fuel to lend support the Ukrainians.
We recently paid 1.93 Euros per liter of diesel, or 8.50 $ per slight over a gallon for our car. That was before the war!
Fortunately, we don’t need to drive in Paris or close surroundings due to excellent public transport. I hear Americans are complaining about gas prices, yet their salaries are higher than here.
Cherry, all of your words expressed my exact thoughts! We mave make donations and I am praying!
Thank you dear Liz for sharing your thoughts too! How I wish we could do more without provoking this madman! Praying God will stop his inhumane violence.
👋Cherry, I wish I was reading your blog about your adventures in Baden Baden as that would be so much more pleasurable to read instead of this horrible war☹️ But as you and I know we will always be reading about war and the rumors of war.
I saw on the tv show “60 minutes” last Sunday just who is Putin and just how unstable and out of touch with the real world he is .
Why in world is he doing running a country w/ access to nuclear ☢️ weapons?
I have been getting used to being retired and have got a lot of my strength back and mentality I have accepted what cancer has done to me . And now this horrible war has cause the price of normal and enjoyable living to skyrocket. And they say this just the beginning!
cherry this is so very disappointing and definitely depressing.
I just keep thinking
🎼DON’T WORRY BE HAPPY 😃
🎶BECAUSE EVERY LITTLE THING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT 😃
INSTEAD OF WORRYING,PRAY ABOUT EVERYTHING 🙏
After all our physical life on Earth is like that of a vapor.
Thank you Isham for your fidelity in commenting! Your courage and upbeat philosophy despite having gone through the battlefield of fighting cancer is inspirational for me!
Since we are basically powerless to change the war other than praying and donating when we can, I hope you will continue to look after yourself physically and mentally by doing what you have set out to do.
I enjoy reading about your travels in natural landscapes, which I know you love. Keep looking for joy Isham! Hugs
I share your feelings. Trying not to watch the news more than once a day as is too overwhelming emotionally. Praying, but I wonder if God is listening. Stay safe and well my friend.
Thank you Nora for your comment! I really resonate with your thoughts. Every time I read another article, my heart sinks more into questioning if our prayers are being heard. I imagine we aren’t the only ones feeling this spiritual despair. I wonder if many years ago, the faith-filled believers thought the same. Yet, I choose to believe. Focus on taking care of yourself despite your sadness.