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I possess four magical words that can transform anyone’s imagination.

Once upon a time.

The moment a child hears those words…well, they are whisked away into another world. I teach creative writing to children and I usually begin a session with a story.

The effect is extraordinary.

Stories inspire. Stories give us life. They give us hope.

When I was growing up, a trip to the library was a fabulous experience. I was lucky; I was raised listening to stories of my ancestors from my mother and father and I had a rich narrative vein to draw from. So, when I went to the library, I was adding to what I already had.

However, few of the stories that I read in the library reflected my world, few of the characters looked like me or talked like me. When I was younger I didn’t know that books could be more diverse… It impacts you quite deeply when all the figures you see aren’t like you.

We need diverse books. Books should and do challenge us, uplift us, shake us. Yet, don’t they need to represent us?

As a father, this responsibility weighs on me. So, nowadays, when I tell stories to children, I conjure up my own to deliberately reflect a diverse world so that children’s imaginations are filled with positive images of themselves.

I’m doing my little bit, you know, throwing starfish back into the sea, one by one.

Lord Almighty, we are seekers on the path, hoping for your Blessings. Lord, guide us to give young minds hope and to give them strength in themselves, to discover their place in the world and to make it a better place for all. Amen.