WHEREAS, Children are indeed our most precious, most irreplaceable national and natural resource, possessing as they do the hopes and dreams for the future of our communities, our state, and our nation; and
     WHEREAS, Each and every child in Washington brings joy and purpose to our lives, for it is in the lives of each and every one of the children in the Evergreen state that we will forever find our dearest treasure; and
     WHEREAS, On Children's Day in the House of Representatives, we pay special esteem and tribute to the young people in our communities, recognizing their standing and stature in our homes, schools, and neighborhoods; and
     WHEREAS, We must forever stand whole heartedly committed to nurturing our children as they grow, preparing them for adulthood, and cultivating their own unique and meaningful dreams for the future; and
     WHEREAS, By our own examples we can and must instill in our young people a strong and unyielding sense of worth and self-esteem, so that they have every opportunity to become meaningful and productive members of our society; and
     WHEREAS, Parents, families, and fellow citizens play crucial roles in forming a youngster's character, and we hold both the duty and the privilege to ensure that all children grow up in a safe and healthy environment with sufficient food, appropriate shelter, quality health care, and a world class education; and
     WHEREAS, It is our goal and mission to empower children so that they will embrace the future with courage, intelligence, and wisdom, and to equip children with skills necessary one day soon to lead our society; and
     WHEREAS, This body since 1995 has observed Children's Day as a very special and very appropriate honor and celebration of Washington's children; and
     WHEREAS, Oliver Wendell Holmes once noted that "Pretty much all the honest truth-telling there is in the world is done by children"; and
     WHEREAS, Fyodor Dostoyevski once observed that "The soul is healed by being with children"; and
     WHEREAS, Ralph Waldo Emerson once pointed out that "There never was a child so lovely but that his parents weren't glad to get them to sleep"; and
     WHEREAS, Bart Simpson once asserted that "I don't know why I did it, I don't know why I enjoyed it, and I don't know why I'll do it again";
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives celebrates the children of the State of Washington and encourages all of its citizens to celebrate children on Children's Day and throughout the year by spending more time with them, by emphasizing their special place in our lives, and by working together to strengthen the foundation today upon which they will build and sustain their tomorrow.