Riddle: the loudspeaker comes on, and across the whole compound you hear: “Attention! The wake-up command has been given. All units are to switch off night lighting and begin preparations for the morning group activities.” Then the anthem plays, and morning exercises begin. At that moment, two people wake up, look at each other, say, “Oh noooo.” And go right back to sleep. ⠀ Answer: Yulia had come to see me for an extended visit. ⠀ And those were three incredibly wonderful days. Treasure life’s simple moments, my friends. They are very, very good—you only really understand that once you’ve lost them. For example, your parents have probably been inviting you over for months. And you don’t feel like going. They’ll feed you till you burst, pepper you with questions. And anyway—you don’t have time. ⠀ As for me, I asked for everyone to come visit during the visitation period—all of them (they came for a few hours; only Yulia stayed all three days), and we recreated a country-house lunch. And yesterday I sat there completely happy, looking at a pot of sorrel borscht (in our family, it’s practically sacred) and a frying pan full of fried potatoes. ⠀ Or simply when, without planning it, at 2 a.m. you say to each other the most romantic phrase in the world: “Want to go get something to eat?” And then you go to the kitchen to eat and talk. It’s fantastically wonderful. ⠀ Or drinking coffee, watching music videos on TV, and lazily gossiping about celebrities. It may seem like a questionable pastime, but only if you don’t usually have mandatory “patriotic education” at that hour. And not to mention that, for the first time in many months, you’re talking to your loved ones without bars and glass between you. You can hug your wife, your children, your parents, and your brother. When you can do that at any second, it doesn’t seem like anything special. But just try the thought experiment of losing that—and suddenly all you’ll want to do is hug someone. ⠀ And I really didn’t want to write some banal, silly post in the style of “Call your parents.” But, well, yes. Call them. Go to that family lunch. Go eat with your wife or husband at 2 a.m. And hug each other every chance you get 😉