Working on a card for her new teacher my daughter hasn’t yet met, I ask “what message would you like me to write?” Cocking her head to the side and furrowing her brow, she considers, then looking up at me, says, “Dear Maestra… I love you so much… I hope you like me ok.”

Is there really a normal? And is it even something we should strive for? What is lost when we seek to conform?