Day 46 - Lauri Johnson

To my Beloved Granddaughter Rosemary Whyte Johnson-Roberson on her Fourth Birthday
Dear Rosie,
During my lifetime peace and justice have been elusive.  I came of age during the long Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War in the late 1960s and early 1970s and met your Grandpa David through campus organizing to end the war and support self-determination movements for Third World peoples.  A focus on peace and social justice has been a cornerstone of our family values and commitments during our 45 year marriage and reflects how we raised our two children, which includes your dad Matthew.
I admit this has seemed like a never-ending struggle which has been heightened lately in the USA.  Your great aunts in Minneapolis recently confronted this reality in their mid 70s when they peacefully took to the streets in subzero weather to protest the brutal ICE crackdown on immigrants in their home city.
Rosie, as a citizen of two countries and multiple ancestries know that you are blessed. On your Grandpa David’s side of the family your ancestors began in West Africa, were taken to the Caribbean and eventually resided in New York City.  Your family tree on Grandma Lauri’s side of the family starts in Sweden and Bohemia and ends up in Nebraska. Your mom’s family began in England and has resided in Australia now for three generations.
As you grow into womanhood embrace and cherish your ancestors and continue to believe that peace is possible in your lifetime. For your birthday, I promise to work for a better and more peaceful world for you and the generations that follow until the end of my days. 

Happy Birthday Rosie!

With much love,
Grandma Lauri   

(Lauri Johnson, Boston, Massachusetts)