Yesterday, when I got home, I asked my six-year-old about school. “What was your most fun thing today?” He answered that they had seen some slides of a guy who painted, sculpted, designed architecture, messed around in math, and read a lot of books. I asked if he remembered who the “guy” was. My son said, “No, but he painted some chapel ceiling.” I said, “Michaelangelo.” My son said, “Yeah, that’s the guy.”

I am not entirely sure why I love all of the categories (and more!) that my son listed, but I do. I hope someone, someday, will describe me as a Renaissance person. I hope my sons – both of them – seek to learn about the full range of things in the world. Specialization is overrated. I hope my sons find ways to stay integrated in their thinking. PJ found no disconnect that that “guy” did all those things. For now, I am thankful that my kindergartener had an interaction with a Renaissance person today…through his teacher. Thanks, Michaelangelo.