Let’s start with my language bucket list. I’ve always had one. The languages at the top have varied and been replaced over time. They’ve usually been related to countries I have a current interest in and/or cuisine I enjoy. For many years, achieving even one seemed almost a fantasy, until I came across the concept of language acquisition as an adult. At this point, the list grew a lot, since it finally felt like something that could be achievable.

The items on my bucket list range from “I am definitely very passionate about acquiring this language” all the way down to “I’m a bit interested but it’s not particularly a priority for me”. With the previously mentioned growth of my list, one of the languages near the bottom was Russian, due mostly to the fact that my mother previously studied it and occasionally attends conversation classes.

Ukrainian was not on the list. To be honest, my general knowledge about the country or that region of Europe is terrible. I missed out on a lot of secondary school education due to illness, and only really managed to keep up with English language, literature and maths. My knowledge of history and geography is really lacking.

But then Ukraine was suddenly in the news, with stories that broke my heart. Ukrainian moved onto the list and Russian moved up a little; not out of the ordinary when something related to a language starts occupying my attention/interest. However at first, I had no plans to set aside French.

As with the Covid crisis, though, I wanted to do something to help. I can donate and I can pray, but due to my circumstances, that’s always seemed like my limit. During the pandemic, though, I found a practical use of my skills—I began a blog. And I started thinking about what I could do this time. I wrote a poem and entered it in a fundraising contest, but I wanted to do more.

And then one Sunday, I felt absolutely compelled to start Ukrainian—not sometime in the future, but now. I know I’ve been called by God to set aside the French and make this a priority. As of yet, I don’t know what He may want me to do with it; I am excited (and a bit nervous!) to find out.

At the time of writing this, I am an hour away from my first tutor session. I’ve been listening to some Ukrainian music and love the sound of the language. I think I’m really going to enjoy this project, and I can’t wait to see what the future brings.