Les enfants : "l'essence de la vie"?

“All the important things in life I have learned from my children,” he said in his speech.

(From David Johnston's swearing-in as the new GG of Canada.)

Funny, the other day my grandparents said something similar: we're living for you now (their kids and grandkids). It struck me as a bit odd, but then again...

My father-in-law has also told us that "children are the essence of life".

A great-uncle of mine passed away this week. He had never been married and never had any children. And when they found his wallet, there was only one photo in it: mine! A photo of me when I was about 4 years old apparently. I hadn't seen him in several years.