I was out for a stroll this morning when I passed a mother dropping her son off at the school entrance. She knelt beside him, put on his backpack, smoothed his shirt and said,

“Make a great day.”

It seemed like such an odd statement – we are all used to have a great day – but this shift from passive to active voice struck me as important. By using “make” instead of “have,” this mother reminded her son of his own agency and power to shape the day ahead. To will things into the world rather than let things occur passively.

As I continued walking, I glanced back. Perhaps it was my imagination, but I could have sworn her son stood a little taller than his classmates, shoulders back, as if ready to tackle the world.