“BETWEEN CAPTIVITY AND LIFE”

9 minutes ago

4 min read

What do we really mean when we say the simple human word “THANK YOU”?

One short phrase we say every day. Sometimes sincerely, sometimes automatically, and sometimes without even thinking about its true weight.

An entire human life can be contained within these words.

They hold the pain of everything we have had to go through, endure, and survive. And they hold the hope that none of it was in vain.

They hold anticipation and achievement, a long journey toward a goal, sleepless nights, doubts, falls, inner struggles, and that moment when we can finally breathe out and say:“Thank you… I made it. I did it. I waited for this moment. We endured. We survived.”

These words hold hugs and kisses. The warmth of the hands of those we love. The look of someone who understood you without words. The presence of someone who stayed when things were at their hardest.

And they hold tears. Because sometimes we say “thank you” through tears. For returning home. For a life saved. For a phone call we were almost afraid to hope for. For a reunion after a long separation. Simply because someone is still here.

The words “thank you” hold memories. Memories of those who are no longer by our side, but whose love continues to live within us. Of those who once reached out a hand, believed in us, and supported us when we had already stopped believing in ourselves.

They hold dreams that came true. And even disappointments that, over time, we have learned to be grateful for because they revealed the truth, changed our values, and taught us to distinguish what is genuine from what is false, love from dependence, and friendship from self-interest.

The words “thank you” hold faith in God and a quiet prayer when words are not enough. They hold a plea that seemed as though it would never be heard. They hold the hope that kept us going on the edge of despair. And they hold a miracle that cannot be explained by logic, yet the heart recognizes it without any proof.

Sometimes our “thank you” is a testimony to a miracle, an acknowledgment of our own powerlessness in the face of something greater than ourselves.

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On October 11, the charity event “WE ARE FREE!” – “BETWEEN CAPTIVITY AND LIFE” took place. It was organized by the “With an Angel on a Shoulder” Charitable Foundation, together with the Foundation’s partners and friends.

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We thank our defenders, the men and women who returned from the brutal captivity of the Russian Federation, for their dreams and for having the courage to start over when it seems that everything has been lost.

❤️ The event was organized to raise funds for the recovery and rehabilitation of Ukrainian service members released from Russian captivity.

❤️ THANK YOU for:

✅✅ Total funds raised: UAH 626,300

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T H A N K Y O U to everyone who joined us, everyone who came to the event, everyone who could not attend but made a donation, and everyone who supported us with a kind word!

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True, sincere unity is something money cannot buy. It is what helps all of us endure, stand strong, and keep moving forward…..

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THANK YOU for every hryvnia! For every hug and every song we sang together...

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To the volunteers of the “With an Angel on a Shoulder” Charitable Foundation, our wonderful “winged” team, our gratitude reaches the sky for organizing and making this event possible together! ❤️❤️❤️

✅ To our dear partners, our deepest gratitude:

❤️ The team of Premier Hotel Dnister Restaurants

❤️ The team of TuStan Hotel, and personally Mariana Piliak and Mariia Pastukh

❤️ The “MarcoSoli” jewelry brand and Iryna Panchyshyn

❤️ Cardboard and Paper Company LLC

❤️ Nestlé

❤️ Shliakhetni Mebli, Ashley and Polina Martynyshyn

❤️ Symphony Solutions and Valentyna Synenka

❤️ The Ukrainian designer jewelry brand SAMOKISH and Kateryna Basovska

❤️ Our host, Bohdan Mykhailyshyn

❤️ Chocoboom

❤️ Fruktimpex LLC, Volodymyr Dumchak and Davyd Muslumov