Across Serbia, in anticipation of the great holiday of Christmas, Christmas Eve branches (badnjaci) are being sold. However, a special and touching story comes to us from Kruševac, where near the Jovan Jovanović Zmaj Elementary School, this holy wood is being sold by Teodora, Anastasija, and Jelica Milenković. These three biological sisters sold badnjaci in previous years as well, but now everything is different. In December, they lost their mother, but since they had performed this work with her in previous years, they decided to find the strength and do it for her love on the eve of this Christmas as well.
„I have been doing this since I was little. My mother taught me. I sell badnjaci because she also loved for us to do it and because I know she would want me to continue. It’s not strenuous. It is a bit harder while everything is being gathered, but it’s not difficult. The work goes easily. We sold on January 5th, we will sell throughout Christmas Eve, and we will celebrate Christmas within the family,“ Teodora told RINA.
Great support and the biggest pillar for the hardworking sisters is their father Ljuba, who, after the sudden death of his wife, has the task of leading these three girls onto the right path. A very difficult period is behind them. In May, their house burned down, and at the end of the year, they were left without a mother and wife.
„That night I managed to pull my wife and children out of the flames, alive and well. This time, unfortunately, I did not succeed. I tried everything, heart massage, artificial respiration, until the ambulance arrived. I tried to keep her alive, but I didn’t succeed. I lost my wife. The cause was a heart attack. She was 49 years old. Those are the hardest years, when a mother is most needed by the children,“ says Ljuba.
Teodora is 18, Anastasija is 16, and Jelica is 12 years old. The eldest daughter is a Saint Sava student, winner of the Saint Sava award as the best pupil.
„My children are everything to me. Both my wife and I tried to lead them onto the right path. They are taught to share even the last crust of bread, to be good people. We did the selling of badnjaci before. My wife loved doing that. She taught the children. The children insisted that we go out this year as well, to mark the tradition and respect what their mother loved. To continue regardless of everything that happened,“ says this devoted father.
He adds that in these moments he is maximally dedicated to the children, because the loss they all experienced is enormous.
„We organize ourselves as best we can. The eldest daughter looks after the youngest for a few hours a day. We have to manage. I have trust in the children. They are taught all the household chores. They do everything themselves. The middle daughter kneads pies, she makes phenomenal pies. She taught herself to make cakes, too. Now we have to organize ourselves a bit differently. What their mother used to do, and I know how, I must now take over,“ says Ljuba.
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Source: RINA, Photo: RINA