World's Citizen

Not all borders are drawn on maps.
Some are invisible.
Quiet.
Inherited.
A child is not born dividing the world.
A child does not see nationality, religion, or status.
A child does not recognize wealth or poverty as barriers.
A child sees faces. Voices. Hands reaching out.
But somewhere along the way...
that changes.
We are taught to separate.
Not always intentionally. Not always with harm.
Sometimes with pride. Sometimes with fear.
Sometimes simply because "that's how it's always been."
This is your country.
That is theirs.
This is your belief.
That is different.
And slowly, without noticing, the world becomes smaller.
Not physically-but emotionally.
Because something inside me understood early-
before words, before identity, before labels-
we are all part of the same story.
So why do we build borders between us?
Why do we allow lines-imaginary lines-to define how we treat one another?
Why do we forget so easily...
what we knew as children?
This book begins with a simple idea.
Before we can change the world,
we must recognize the first border we ever accepted-
the one inside ourselves.
And once we see it...
we can choose to cross it.