The more we shelter children from every disappointment, the more devastating future disappointments will be.

This is the first age that's ever paid much attention to the future, which is a little ironic since we may not have one.

The dark shadow we seem to see in the distance is not really a mountain ahead, but the shadow of the mountain behind - a shadow from the past thrown forward into our future. It is a dark sludge of historical sectarianism. We can leave it behind us if we wish.

We know that when people are safe in their homes, they are free to pursue their dream for a brighter economic future for themselves and their families.

Promises are the uniquely human way of ordering the future, making it predictable and reliable to the extent that this is humanly possible.