As human beings, our job in life is to help people realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is, that each of us has something that no one … - Fred Rogers

One of our chief jobs in life, it seems to me, is to realize how rare and valuable each one of us really is–that each of us has something which no one else has–or ever will have–something inside which is unique to all time.

It’s true that we take a great deal of our own upbringing on into our adult lives and our lives as parents; but it’s true, too, that we can change some of the things that we would like to change. It can be hard, but it can be done.

There’s mystery in raising children: As our children grow and develop their unique talents, we can’t control every aspect of their lives. For example, we can offer children music lessons and do all we can to encourage them to appreciate music, but if making music isn’t their way of expressing themselves, we have to trust they’ll find their own ways.

Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.