A PERSONAL JOURNEY

Going Home... For the First Time

Charlotte Kovalchuk is the senior writer for My Jarrell. Her mother emigrated from Ukraine in 1991 and shared her first return home with her two daughters. Following are Charlotte's personal reflections on her first visit to her mother's home country this past December.

Grit is defined by Merriam Webster as a firmness of mind or spirit, unyielding courage in the face of hardship or danger. It’s a fitting description for my family in Ukraine. Growing up, I heard stories about how my great-grandparents survived the Ukrainian famine in 1932 by eating grass soup, how my mom and her family faced rejection from society because they were Christians and refused to become communists. Later, despite heavy influence against practicing Christianity, and the requirement to be a communist in order to get a college education, my mother found a way to go to college anyway.

As an English major, I especially loved the story of my grandfather putting up a portrait of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko on his wall in defiance of Russia’s cultural repression.

In 1991, my mom left her home to trade that cultural and religious oppression for American prosperity, not knowing it would be 30 years before she would find her way back home, this time with two daughters in tow.

CULTURE SHOCK

My mom did the best she could to prepare my sister and I for Ukraine— including warning us that if we acted like American pedestrians and took the right of way in front of a driver, we would die. And, after listening patiently to my attempts at speaking Ukrainian, saying, “Don’t try to talk to anyone, honey.” Nothing could have fully prepared me, though, for the adventure and gift of Ukraine.

Knowing Ukraine is a close-knit country with multi-generational homes, I was still surprised how many people lived in my Aunt Natalya’s tiny apartment. Along with my mom, sister, and me, ten family members got to know each other pretty well over two weeks in December and January—as well as we could with the language barrier.

That barrier was especially difficult during church, as services were twice as long as they are here in Texas and I couldn’t understand a word of it. Still, I could feel everyone’s zeal for God. People knelt and prayed out loud together, and instead of heralding the new year with a countdown and cheers, they prayed their way into 2022.

I was shocked, however, to see everyone sharing the same two communion cups. Knowing my germaphobia, my mom and sister teased me about my reluctance to participate. I reminded them, “We’re in a pandemic!”

BONDING OVER FOOD AND TUNES

The hardest part about staying in a foreign country wasn’t the language barrier or cultural differences—it was not having Chick-fil-A for two weeks, or eating out at all, as it turned out. As one guy noted with surprise when I told him Americans eat out all the time, “It’s too expensive to eat out!”

Instead, I watched people bond in the kitchen. Whether it was my aunt and cousins preparing Christmas dinner, or a young adults church group making snacks for a gathering, I learned that cooking is more than just another chore to add to one’s to-do list. When you do it with other people, it becomes a shared act of service that inspires joy from creating something together. I enjoyed learning from my aunt how to make New Year’s dishes like varenyky (potato dumplings) and olivye (potato salad).

Treasured just as much as food, music flowed everywhere I went in Ukraine. Whenever there was a lull in the conversation at a gathering, someone would reach for the nearest instrument. Usually it was the piano or guitar and my mom, who plays both, always hoped to pass on her gift of music to her kids, and now I know why it was so important to her. Like cooking, music connects people.

THE GREATEST FLATTERY

Wanting to embrace my Ukrainian roots, I was excited about the prospect of listening to Ukrainian music and buying clothes with Ukrainian phrases, only to find that every major store I visited blasted American music and sold shirts with American phrases. But I ended up being grateful for that westernization, because it means more people are learning English. Many were excited to practice their English with us, especially Aunt Natalya, who was trying to get a promotion and joked that we should have a conversation in English in front of her boss to increase her chances of getting a better job.

At first, I couldn’t understand Ukraine’s obsession with America, as I was raised to believe that “everything is better in Ukraine.” My aunt corrected that notion with a laugh: “Everything is better in America.”

Indeed, visiting a country that struggles with poverty and few job opportunities made me appreciate my life in America. But I’m grateful my family and I got to visit Ukraine and learn the value of family bonds and connections through food and music. My mom, who emigrated right before Ukraine won its independence in 1991, is especially glad she was able to see her homeland free. We continue to pray for the safety of our brothers and sisters in Ukraine as they struggle to hold onto that freedom.

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL TOWN SQUARE IN TEXAS Close In, Close to Home

by Charlotte Kovalchuk and Cassidie Cox

Social center. Community cornerstone. Heart of Georgetown. Or, the moniker that draws many an out-oftowner—the Most Beautiful Town Square in Texas. All describe a downtown hub where folks of all ages gather to enjoy live music and a glass of wine with friends, browse eclectic shops, picnic on the courthouse lawn, and tour the 112-yearold courthouse at the center of the downtown gem. “It’s just where you go,” Georgetown Mayor Josh Schroeder says. “Date night. Family dinner. Celebrating. Mourning. It’s where we go for the important events in our lives.”

ACCORDING TO LOCALS

Georgetown prides itself not only on its charm as a modern-day Mayberry; it also boasts a thriving mix of businesses that draw locals and tourists alike seven days a week. Many credit 600 Degrees Pizzeria with sparking the Square’s transformation from a “great place for restaurants to come and die,” as Cody Hirt describes it, to a flourishing business hub.

That culture inspired Cody to open Mesquite Creek Outfitters and The Golden Rule downtown with Brad Strittmatter. Growing up in Stanton, Cody treasured his close-knit town where everyone helped each other and community meant everything. “Georgetown was the only place where I sensed that same type of community. We have such a diverse group of businesses now. On top of that, none of us sees each other as competition. We see everyone as complementary. There's a great group effort to raise the tide to raise all the ships.” Sweet Lemon Kitchen owner Rachel Cummins adds, “The people here are just really wonderful, kind, and caring.” Several storefronts and eateries have been on the Square long enough to have watched Georgetown

Andrea Denton enjoys a bite to eat on the Square with her kids, Brooks and Bridgette, before Brooks goes to spend his piggy-bank money next door at All Things Kids. “I think I want to get all kinds of toys,” Brooks said. 38 MARCH 2022  MY JARRELL MONTHLY

What's Old is New Again

East side of the Square early 20th century, courtesy Williamson Museum

The 'town square' has been an integral city function for centuries; a central hub of activity—a place to gather to celebrate, receive information, conduct business, or simply sit.

A holdover from European traditions, Texas settlers built them primarily as a means to nurture townships and for neighbors to help each other through harsh winters. Over time, civic interaction began to spring up organically as the earliest town squares were gathering spaces located at the geographic center of the town. Even government took place in the square, where citizens were already present, until city halls and courthouses were constructed.

The Georgetown Square filled all of these needs for the community until growth began to stretch beyond the downtown area and outlier residents found retail, services, and restaurants closer to home. Building owners in the 1950s and 60s tried to modernize their facades by covering the historic architecture with stucco and other material so, by the 1970s, the area was quite featureless compared to its previous Victorian beauty. As construction costs rose, renewal of historic sites became profitable and by 1984 the Main Street program had helped transition many buildings back to their former glory, creating an 'old town' ambiance that began to attract tourists and foot traffic once again.

As technology took off and created an environment that allowed for information at our fingertips, and people no longer needed the town square for news, the Georgetown Square has re-emerged as a place for people to be intentional about gathering in person for celebrations, business, and discussion.

Today, social life on the Square includes spontaneous and planned meetings, civic engagement, retail and restaurants, and an environment of learning. It is home to festivals and celebrations, street entertainers, and passive people-watching.

As the 21st century marches on, our reasons for visiting the Square as the same as they were 150 years ago; buying fresh produce and artisan products, eating and celebrating, and days out with the family. grow through their windows, and change from a small town to a new cultural center. One such shop is the Framer’s Gallery—a hybrid art gallery and custom frame store that has been a mainstay on the Square for more than 14 years. Kimi Chapman, owner of the store for the last nine years, finds the growth in the diversity on the Square in the last few years hard to believe but has been excited to welcome the wave of newcomers. “Exposure to art and beauty for kids is so important,” she says. “It doesn’t just prepare their minds for the present, it prepares them for the future.”

Another family friendly, whimsical stop on the Square is All Things Kids, which opened 11 years ago and has proved to be a consistently popular destination for kids—and kids at heart—to ignite their imaginations through the magic of toys. Carl Soeffker has been working at All Things Kids with his mom Karen since he was a young boy. He believes part of the store's attraction is the nostalgia of old world craftsmanship, “We’re proud to be a battery-free store. My dad always says the toys [in America] play the kids, not the other way around.”

WHEN YOU GO... AGAIN AND AGAIN

“There are so many things for families to do,” Gumbo’s owner Denise Page says. She encourages folks to stop by the restaurant’s family friendly bar and enjoy live music every night of the week and twice a day on Saturdays and Sundays. To her, the distinction and attraction is clear; “We’re not a Sixth Street bar. We always encourage anxious parents and tell them, ‘Your kids are bothering you more than they’re bothering us.’ ”

SQUARE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE:

�First Fridays: Enjoy after-hours shopping and dining while businesses stay open later the first Friday of each month.

�Courthouse Tours: Take a trip back in time during free tours at the courthouse on Fridays at 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm. �Ghost Tours: Enjoy a historically accurate walk through the spirits, haunts, and legends of downtown Georgetown. Tours meet at the museum first Fridays at 8pm February through November. �Live Music: Visitors to Georgetown can find live music around town nearly every day. Scan the code for the latest events.