The Crestock Photography Contest 2007

Children are the beating heart of our existence. Without children, hope for the future dies and with it life. As important as they may be to our very fabric, their voices are often unheard in a world filled with adults and their grown up problems. However, when their voices do penetrate the commotion, the message has an impact on us all. When an impoverished child was asked, "If you had one wish, any wish, what would it be?" His response was, "I Wish Your Wish." This was the inspiration for an art exhibit of a wall of ribbons stating the wishes of children all around the world. It reminds us of the commonality we all share, and the instinctual compassion we have for one another--something that is often forgotten in a divided world. Children are our daily reminders of why we are alive and the importance of compassion for one another. They are the very meaning of life.