A BETTER TOMORROW DEPENDS ON CHILDHOOD

In the streets of a small town, where you can still hear nature sing and trees decorate the yards of the houses, children grow up surrounded by laughter, games, songs, and dances—far from the worries of adult life.

The day begins with a nightingale singing by the window and a few rays of sunlight gently touching our cheeks. We rush to avoid being late for school while mom prepares breakfast and gets ready for work too.

Without realizing it, time moves quickly. As children, we don’t know how rich we are, how wonderful God has been to gift us the breath of life and the blessing of a warm home where we can feel safe.

By late afternoon, you can always hear the sound of children playing in the streets. When it's not with a ball, it's them running up and down the block. Who could be happier than a child, when there's no fear of being themselves?

Who could be happier than a child who has the freedom to grow without the burden of worry?

Who could be happier than a child whose physical and emotional development isn’t affected by their environment or the stress of the adults around them?

Oh life, answer me—and not just me, but also the children who search and perhaps cannot find the comfort they need.

I remember rainy afternoons, when we would run to hide under the neighbor’s awning, soaked but laughing as if the sky weren’t falling around us. Laughter was medicine, and puddles were lakes brimming of adventure. Those moments were worth more than any treasure.

Childhood should not be interrupted by yelling, fear, or hunger. It should not be clouded by responsibilities that don’t belong to such a pure heart. A child should have the right to live their childhood like a poem—not like a burden.

Sometimes, I see a premature sadness in the eyes of some children, a silence that doesn't belong to their age. And then I ask myself again: what are we doing for them? What kind of world are we leaving behind if we don’t sow tenderness, empathy, and protection today?

As adults, the best way to build a splendid future is to ensure a joyful childhood, where the shadows of the world don’t reach the dreams of the innocent.

A free laugh, a word of encouragement, an afternoon without clocks or yelling—these can mean more than any expensive gift. Love isn’t measured by what we give, but by the safe space we build so children can grow without fear.

And as I watch the morning unfold, time freezes in my memory the precious moments of what once was… and silence begins to wrap around the block as the home prepares to welcome a pair of mischievous little ones who, one day, will wish they never had to grow up.

Maybe we can’t stop time, but we can choose what footprints we leave on a child’s heart. Childhood is that brief moment that shapes an entire life. Let’s protect it, nurture it, and honor it—because a better tomorrow depends on it.

Perhaps the true measure of our humanity lies not in the wealth we accumulate or the titles we bear, but in the tenderness we show to those who depend on us the most. Childhood is fragile, fleeting, and yet it carries within it the foundation of everything that comes after. Each gesture of love, each moment of patience, each seed of kindness planted in a child’s heart becomes a legacy far greater than ourselves. To honor childhood is to honor life itself, ensuring that innocence is not lost but transformed into hope for generations to come.

And once we close our eyes to this life, may we find eternity in every memory of what we built: an action, a moment, a story that continues even in the midst of forgetting.