There is good even in war

- or at least I am trying to tell myself that. The man who handed his two children over to a complete stranger had to trust that she would see them safely to their mother on the other side of the border - and she did.

That was one of the news stories in our media. There was the 80 yr old man who arrived with not much more than a change of clothes saying he was prepared to fight...and how many wars has he experienced?

And there are people who would consider themselves to be "ordinary" people and even doing "ordinary" things who are doing their best. In all likelihood nobody will ever know of their efforts, nobody is going to acknowledge them.  

I have been told a couple of stories in the last few days and I would like to share one of them with you...as a sign there is some hope. 

A former colleague contacted me and asked for some help in setting up a communication board. She has been teaching English in Kharkiv. As a foreigner she decided to leave. Who could she take with her? She was living with a family. The mother and the three children were away when war broke out. They are not coming back yet. The father has to stay and fight. He handed over the family car and they have, no doubt thoroughly illegally and dangerously, put seven children into the car. These children are in what would be described here as "state care". Their supposed carers had abandoned them and fled to Russia.  The children don't speak English and my former colleague speaks only a little Ukrainian and a little more Russian... hence the urgent request for a communication board. I had news this morning that they are, against all expectations, across the border. It isn't the end of their problems but they have some hope. How she is going to care for these children and feed them is another problem but now other people are helping her.The seven children under the age of ten are undoubtedly safer in her care than they would be had they been left to fend for themselves.

I wonder how many other such stories there are? Perhaps we need to remind ourselves that there are good caring people out there.