I wrote this piece very early in 2020, before the pandemic, as a response to what I felt were unsettling and disconcerting times for all of us: the devastating bushfires, climate change, unstable political situations, culture wars, and the nihilistic narcissism that has a mouthpiece on social media. I was feeling a bit lost, and then imagining how young people must be feeling. I was pondering how incredibly important it is to remind children (and all of us!) that in these uncertain times there are still so many things to be comforted by and ways that we can comfort others; to see what’s good in the world, to find meaning, and to be a good global citizen, too.

And then the pandemic hit us, amplifying all these thoughts so that this little story felt even more relevant for now, and way on into the future.