Today, as I sat on a beach log, crushed by the horrors happening in Ukraine, outraged by Putin’s brutality, astonished by the courage of Zelensky and the Ukrainians, I watched five kids build this structure. They called it their magic portal and when they were done, they took turns going through it, imagining they’d transformed into something or someone else on the other side. Each time they passed through, they’d shout out their transformation.

I’m a purple tree that sings opera!I’m a dolphin bird!

I’m a whirling cloud!

I’m a dragon that breathes rainbows!

I’m a grandmother!”

I’m a bubble that never pops!

I watched them laughing and acting out their imaginations in their red, yellow and purple boots, loud waves in the background, running through the portal over and over again, and I thanked oceans for their freedom, their innocence and creativity, and I thought of the Ukranian children for the millionth time this day, the terror they must be feeling—their freedom to play, their safety, their homes, suddenly blown apart, explosions in their background, and all I could do in this moment was send out a deep plea to all the great energies and ancestors of the universe, to please for the love of all the extraordinary beauty in this world, please open wide tonight the portals of diplomacy, courage and love.