Each second we live is a new and unique moment of the universe, a moment that will never be again. And what do we teach our children? We teach them that two and two make four, and that Paris is the capital of France. When will we also teach them what they are?

We should say to each of them: Do you know what you are? You are a marvel. You are unique. In all the years that have passed, there has never been another child like you. Your legs, your arms, your clever fingers, the way you move.

You may become a Shakespeare, a Michelangelo, a Beethoven. You have the capacity for anything. Yes, you are a marvel. And when you grow up, can you then harm another who is, like you, a marvel?

You must work, we must all work, to make the world worthy of its children.

Our parents place expectations on us, place their own projections… right from when we’re born. Education is integral: but there are all kinds of education. A child should also be taught to be. Encouraged to create. Motivated to discover their unique selves. Maybe college is for some, while traveling the world and writing might be what another was born for. What expectations have your parents placed on you? Do they still inhibit you? How does this effect the way you think you might encourage your own children differently?