At the end of her first day in pre-K, Anna left the classroom on her own. When we realized she was missing, I went down the hall and found her talking to her former teacher. When I asked why she went by herself, Anna replied confidently, “Because I can. I’m four!” Her self-confidence was impressive. But, of course, we also spent the year helping Anna learn what a big four-year-old can do safely. This month, in “Grace Says Hello” (pages 12 –15), Grace proudly announces that she will greet every animal in the zoo. Her parents are dubious. After all, the zoo is a big place. But in the end, our little heroine finds a way. When we give children room to do things on their own, they will give us more than a few heart palpitations along the way. Balancing the need to keep them safe with the need to let them fly is hard. But it’s worth it, because we’re giving them a priceless gift—a resilient and optimistic heart