I stand corrected by a reader's wisdom

Check out the email I got tonight from 'C':

Saker,
I felt your despair and thought about what to say that might help you stay strong. Please allow me to remind you of two things that you know to be true:
One, are the people of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kirkov and Dnipopetrovsk, Mariupol and Odessa not essentially the same people?
Two, have these people not surprised you many times in the past few months, confounding your gloomy conclusions?
We must all learn not to take our fears as prophesy.

'C' is absolutely correct.  This is what I replied:

You wrote: One, are the people of Donetsk, Luhansk, Kirkov and Dnipopetrovsk, Mariupol and Odessa not essentially the same people?

True.

You also wrote: Two, have these people not surprised you many times in the past few months, confounding your gloomy conclusions?

True again.

What can I say?  You are correct and thanks for reminding me of that.

I often marvel at the kindness and wisdom of so many of you, my friends and readers, I am grateful for the many times in these terrible recent months when you have given me a reason not to despair.

Thanks, 'C', and thanks to you all.

Kind regards and good night everybody,

The Saker