
"The sun is shining, the birds are singing".
Even in the midst of great tragedy, a female Ukrainian soldier chooses to see hope. In a short, 13 second clip, she offers a sweet smile. Her eyes peer up to a clear blue sky. She says with a voice full of warmth:
"I'm still alive, the sun is shining, the birds are singing, everything will be fine. Long live Ukraine..."
The enthusiasm of women in the #UkrainianArmedForces is also on the rise and currently 36,000 women are performing their duties in the #UkraineRussiaWar.
According to a recent report, the #Ukrainian Army and the people have shattered to Russian forces & Putin's dream۔#Ukraine 🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/s2AV7ZPIIp
— Mian Mujeeb UR Rehman (@Mujeebtalks) February 28, 2022
Though the soldier hasn’t been identified, her unbreakable positive outlook has taken on iconic status, comforting thousands who look at Ukraine’s plight and feel devastated. She’s already committing a heroic act by defending her country, but this adds another layer of gentle bravery.
She is not alone. Other female soldiers of Ukraine are fighting to stay hopeful in a way that might bring new meaning to the term “girl power.”
Their TikTok channels are filled with the same videos most young women their age post: glamorous makeup looks, joking around with friends, playful dancing. The key difference is … they happen to be donning military attire while doing it.
Screenshot taken from @vika_222 on TikTok.
They show off their manicured hands while holding bullets, and clean their weapons to the sounds of upbeat hip-hop music. The barracks have become the backdrop to their lives, but other than that … life goes on just the same.
It feels like a small, yet powerful act of defiance. As if to say, “this war doesn’t take away who I really am. You cannot have that.” So simple, and yet a victory nonetheless.
As the threat of a possible Russian invasion became more imminent, Ukrainian women between the ages of 18 and 60 who were considered “fit for military service” were required to register for armed forces. And the list of professions considered fit is quite extensive. According to The Wall Street Journal, around 32,000 women were serving in Ukraine’s military as of Feb 17, with many set to take on a variety of combat roles.
Then, as we all know, the nightmare came true. These women and young girls were plucked from their lives in a time of need to be thrust into war. And yet, their spirits remain untarnished. That is a soft kind of power that shoots straight to the heart. And it’s inspiring.
As it gets more and more difficult to peel our gaze away from the pain, perhaps the most radical form of resilience is holding onto our enthusiasm for life. That is something each and every one of us can do, even though it isn’t always the easiest thing to accomplish.
Our bleakest moments still contain vast possibilities for a brighter future. Even in times of war, birds still sing. The sun still shines. And where we choose to place our focus matters. We can each fight for hope in our own unique way. But it’s always worth fighting for.
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There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."
This article originally appeared in May.