Joy amid sorrow: 1st birthdays muted for Ukrainian parents

By HANNA ARHIROVA
Associated Press

KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is particularly poignant for women who gave birth and men who became fathers a year ago, on Feb. 24, 2022, as bombs began to fall. Bringing forth new life just as the Russian onslaught snatched other lives away entwined joy and terror into a sour-sweet mix for people who became parents that day. When they blow out their kids’ first candle Friday, other Ukrainians will be lighting candles for the dead. The parents of invasion-day babies hope their toddlers won’t be mentally scarred by their first year of life. But moms and dads can’t help but associate their kids’ early milestones with bloodshed and fear.