The Light Born in One's Palms: A Story of Lost Home and Found Hope

At seventy, life should be like a calm river flowing between familiar banks. But for one woman from the Kupiansk district, the war turned that river into a turbulent torrent, uprooting her from her native land. She did not flee alone; her large family—children and grandchildren—was by her side. Yet, her heart remained where her home stood, alongside the vast farm they had nurtured for decades.

The most painful memory, one that still resonates with sharp ache, was not saying goodbye to material possessions, but to living souls. Her yard was once teeming with life: cows with their calves, sturdy bulls, and the constant chatter of chickens, ducks, and geese. On the day of their departure, realizing it was impossible to evacuate the livestock, the family made an agonizing decision. They opened every cage, released the poultry, and, through tears, unchained the dogs—offering them one last mercy: a chance to survive in the wild. The moment she last saw her animals marked the boundary between a happy past and an uncertain present.

Today, she is an internally displaced person (IDP) whose world is confined to a modest pension and the walls of temporary housing. Although her family is near, the longing for home and a sense of lost purpose weighed heavily on her every day. It felt as though joy had been left behind in the steppes of Kupiansk.

Seeking even a drop of peace, she began attending group psychosocial support (PSS) sessions. These meetings became more than just a place to talk; they provided a safe space where she could finally voice her grief and feel supported. A true breakthrough occurred during a recent art therapy session dedicated to handcrafting candles.

As her hands, seasoned by years of hard agricultural labor, touched the soft wax, something remarkable happened. The process of creating a candle—from choosing the mold to the final touch—absorbed her so completely that, for the first time in a long while, her anxious thoughts receded. Looking at the flame and the beauty she had created with her own hands, she felt a forgotten sense of happiness stir within her. It was more than just a craft; it was a quiet victory over the darkness of chronic stress.

She now shares that these sessions restored her faith that, even at an advanced age and after such devastating losses, one can find a source of light within. While she dreams of returning to her beloved Kupiansk, she now has the psychological resilience to wait for that day. She is deeply grateful for the chance to feel creative and alive again, as the small candle she made has become a symbol that life continues—and it can still be warm, despite the cold winds of war.

These psychological support sessions are organized by the Synodal Department of Social Service and Charity of the OCU "Eleos-Ukraine" in partnership with LWF Ukraine, with financial support from the ACT Alliance.