I am the author of the Goodacity blog, a journalist, and a translator. For 16 years, I have worked in professional journalism, contributing to regional and national publications, both in print and online media. I have written reports, conducted interviews, reviews, articles on cultural, social, and charitable topics, as well as materials in the style of "solution journalism" and communication materials.
My focus is on creating interesting and exclusive content. Journalism, to me, is primarily about human stories, to which I always find the key, empathize with the people I write about, and love all my heroes. Journalism, to me, means telling people about what truly matters to them, informing and inspiring them. It is not just a job, but a way of life, just like for all those who dream, create, and are inspired by it.
So, if you are looking for stories that inspire and motivate, that instill faith and help find meaning while believing in goodness, read my stories on the Goodacity website.
I am a manager of cultural affairs and a project manager with over 14 years of experience at United Thinkers. I have participated in the organization of numerous successful social and charitable projects and have implemented informational campaigns and communication cases.
As a marketing manager, I have been involved in organizing marketing and sociological research, working with media and partners, developing advertising and marketing strategies, as well as planning and implementing advertising campaigns.
I believe in the power of goodness and I am happy that as part of the Goodacity project, I can contribute to its expansion. I believe in the power of words and in the fact that communication can help make the world a better place. I know how, where and when to speak in order to be heard. And when you are heard, you can change the world!
Love of life means sharing your generous heart with others!
At its core, love of life is about loving all living things! This is the firm belief of the heroine of our incredibly moving story. She belongs to those who feel the need to share their generous hearts with others.
Oleksandra Mykolaivna is 89 years old. “I’m just eighty-nine,” the woman laughs, “don’t think I’m young still…”
She lives alone. Well, not quite – as soon as she steps outside, about a dozen neighborhood cats run up to her, which she feeds daily, and at home, she shelters… street pigeons! She spares nothing from her modest daily diet to share with them: bread and cheese, even cracking sunflower seeds to delight the birds with treats!
“The main thing is that I still have the strength to help,” grandma smiles. “And I feed the pigeons because they’re alive, just like all of us; they want to eat too… You see how they fly in circles, bowing as if to say thank you…”
To her, each animal is living proof that there is room in this world for selfless love. They bring her limitless joy and happiness, teaching her to appreciate every moment of life. Thanks to them, she has discovered true happiness – the happiness of being herself and giving love unconditionally. Her care for animals is an endless sea of tenderness, making them feel cared for and cherished. Grandma’s heart is a treasure trove of hope and love, and she shares this treasure with everyone she encounters on her life’s journey.
Grandma and the Pigeons: When Home Is a Flock of Birds!
Love of life permeates every corner of her existence. It’s not just a phrase; it’s a philosophy that lives in the heart of this wonderful woman. Her story is a testament to the fact that even in difficult times, one can find joy and hope where there’s love of life.
Oleksandra Mykolaivna symbolizes unwavering faith in goodness and selfless love of life. Her example reminds us all that happiness can be found even in the most modest and solitary of lives. She greets each day by spreading light and warmth to everyone around her.
“I get up in the morning, thank God I’m alive, and start my day,” she shares about her daily routine.
“I cook porridge for the cats with broth from chicken heads, picking out whatever bits of meat I can find for them… My pension is small – not enough to splurge on meat… I buy grain for the street pigeons, feeding them every day because every crumb is important to the birds. And at home, I have my own little flock – three pigeons live with me. I took them in when they were sick, and they just stayed: Tsypik, Galyunya, and the little black one, Tsyganochka. That’s how we live… And there’s Steesha the cat – she’s friends with the birds, a real smarty!”
To her, every animal is living proof that there’s room in this world for selfless love. They bring her limitless joy and happiness, teaching her to appreciate every moment of life. Thanks to them, she has discovered true happiness – the happiness of being oneself and giving love without limit. And the feathered friends – the pigeons – have become symbols of hope, peace, and faith in a better future. Each of their flights is capable of dispelling gloomy thoughts and filling the heart with love of life.
Love of Life Transforms the World Around Us!
We are all connected by invisible threads of love, intertwining our destinies and providing us with the strength to exist, saving us in our darkest times.
“Last spring, when our Chernihiv, Ukraine, was under constant bombardment, I made a safe space for us all in the bathroom. There, we waited out the scariest bombings – with the cat and pigeons, all together, to make it less frightening,” Oleksandra Mykolaivna shares. “After just a few days, as soon as it started booming outside, Steesha the cat was the first to scurry to the bathroom! That’s how we saved each other… During those toughest moments, I felt I wasn’t alone, because I had those who needed my love!
If it weren’t for kind people, I don’t know how I would manage,” the woman says. “It’s good that my neighbor from our building comes in, cooks borsch, brings it over; my godmother Olya and my goddaughter help out – and that’s all I have… Thanks to the Goodacity community for the food and pet food – it’s such a joy to know there are people who can help and support in tough times, making the world kinder!..”.
Oleksandra Mykolaivna is a true example of how love of life can change not just her own life but also the lives of those around her. She teaches us that small acts of kindness and little gestures of love can make the world a better place. Despite all the hardships she faces, she continues to move forward, sharing smiles and touching hearts.
Grandma bids us farewell, with pigeons circling around her, snuggling up in gratitude – radiating warmth and sincerity. It reminds us of the famous words by Vasyl Stus: “Live in such a way that pigeons feel comfortable to land on your shoulders…”.
Let the pigeons continue to circle around Oleksandra Mykolaivna, and may her heart always be filled with love of life. She is a true example that age can never extinguish the flame of humanity and kindness!
We are all connected by invisible threads of love, intertwining our destinies and providing us with the strength to exist, saving us in our darkest times. The story of Oleksandra Mykolaivna is a shining example of how one kind person can change the lives of animals and touch the hearts of people. May her example inspire us all to seek love of life every day, all around us, and to spread it among others. May her kindness extend far beyond her yard, inspiring others to do good! Oleksandra Mykolaivna, thank you for your immense love of life and those around you, for your invaluable role in creating a world of goodness and care! May your vitality and kindness continue to work miracles in this world that needs more people like you!
“I remember an old man. Starving himself, he caught a sick pigeon, still yellow-beaked (its leg was hurt) – and fed it bread from his mouth, gave it water. That pigeon hopped after him like a father. And what? The pigeon recovered, grew, gained strength. I don’t know if it thanked him or not (that’s not the point), but if it did thank him, it did so profoundly. But in my memory – for as long as I live – will be that needy grandfather, whom pigeons landed on his shoulders, arms, palms, head… Because it happened, because I saw it and others saw it – the world became better. Because it made me, and other people, want to live in such a way that pigeons would land on our shoulders…”. Letter from Vasyl Stus to his son Dmytro.
