Norwegian Steamer Trunk

Every day of the year there is a very old battered beautiful steamer trunk in my living room.  Tucked inside it are all the Christmas decorations I take out every year to give life to my home late in Advent through the Twelve Days of Christmas.  And when the season of Epiphany opens, I tuck everything back in until next year.

The family story I was told long ago is that it held everything my Norwegian ancestors brought with them to the United States from Norway late in the nineteenth century.   During those same years other ancestors came from Switzerland, Germany and Ireland as family lore tells it. 

Tonight I met with a woman from Liberia who came to the United States as an eight year old under Temporary Protective Status and now faces the September 30th deadline for Deferred Enforced Departure unless Congress passes legislation granting permanent residency or the president signs yet another executive order extending their deferred enforced departure. 

A friend from Eritrea has been here more than ten years, has always been documented and is still working toward the day when she can apply for citizenship. Yet another friend came in 1996 from Cambodia.  She took the citizenship oath three years ago in March.  Each has told their story of leaving war torn countries and coming here to start over in peace. 

Though I do not know how it "really" was for my ancestors, it seems unlikely they faced the personal, financial obstacles that today's migrants face.  Even less unlikely that they worked and waited and struggled for ten or eleven or more than twenty years to earn their citizenship. 

Tonight I am "just thinkin'" about the absolute privilege that is afforded me and countless American citizens because our ancestors left their home countries in search of the promise of freedom of religion, land to farm, and a democracy waiting for them to become productive citizens.  My great-grandfather was elected to the Wisconsin Legislature in 1905 as assemblyman.  Wow, freedom and opportunity came quickly for him and his generation.  It had to be simpler then.  It just had to be. 

Migration is natural.  People and animal migrate from one unsustainable environment in search of a sustainable one.  Governments make it possible for money and goods to cross borders with ease.  Yet we place incredible obstacles in the paths of people who want nothing more than a peaceful sustainable life for themselves and their families.

I just keep thinkin' ... ... ...