My daughter began first grade this year. When I saw her, I couldn’t believe it was the same baby who had just fallen asleep on my chest the day before. That’s why I pick up my kid right away from school. The teacher said that kids who go to daycare for longer hours might have a harder time getting used to school. I always get there early, and while I wait for the bell to ring, I watch the kids to see how they act and see if they pay attention to the teacher.

Once, I got there and sat down in the hallway across from their classroom. The kids were making art at the time. The teacher gave out records that we parents had helped to make. I saw that the kids started looking through the pictures in the albums to find their favorite figures, but they didn’t seem to notice the albums with plain covers. That’s when our homeroom teacher said something I wish all adults, including myself, would hear. She chose a record with a plain cover and instructed, ”

You all want the most beautiful, bright covers with the cutest drawings on them, my dears. A lot of grown-ups do the same thing. Know this, though: the picture inside doesn’t depend on the cover. The cover doesn’t really matter; it’s just a wrap.

You don’t pick plain lollipops with pretty wrappers when there are nearby candies with less appealing designs. That’s how life is… Get used to having information around you instead of just covers and wrappers. I was so glad that our kids had this kind of teacher. I really want as many adults as possible to read these words because they are so true to human nature. When we choose a book’s cover, we don’t always think about what’s inside.