Day 31 - Anastasia Turnbull

My beloved children,

I write to you with a sense of hope for a bright future ahead. I write not only for you, but for all who may recognize themselves in these words, for hope, I believe, grows stronger when it is shared with others.

You carry within you the bloodlines of people who were deeply committed to their faith, their families, and their communities, people who moved forward with courage in the face of adversity and hardship. Their lives were met with struggle at times, yet they chose perseverance, compassion and responsibility. In you, their stories continue not as relics of the past, but as a living commitment to a future shaped by peace, mutual understanding and love, one undoubtedly full of uncertainty, but which must be practiced, protected, and renewed over time. What you inherit is not only the history of your ancestors, but an obligation to imagine and help build a society that is peaceful, just, compassionate, and committed to the dignity of other human beings.

Non-violence is not just the absence of conflict, but the presence of courage which asks us to seek justice without abandoning love. It reminds us that peace is something we choose to practice, especially when the weight of the world’s obstacles seem insurmountable.  May these values find a place in our artistic expressions, through poetry, storytelling, music, and art, where tradition and identity lie and where more courageous acts of resistance sustain us. Through creative expression, we honour our ancestors and the land upon which we live, recognizing that the material and symbolic privileges we hold are not owed to our singular existence, but to our enduring connection to others, past, present, and future.

As you find your way through this world, I hope you remember that hope is never solitary. It is relational, it is in community, memory, action and in a great sense of responsibility to one another. It is my hope that you help shape a peaceful and just society not only for yourselves, but through a deep connection to others.  This letter is for you, my children, and for anyone who believes, as I do, that love, care, and non-violence are necessary acts of faith in our shared future.

With love and hope,

Mum xx

Painting by Anastasia Turnbull