Estonia's independence is both an opportunity and an obligation to make the best possible decisions. Our people. Language. Culture. Nature. Enterprise. Freedom and responsibility. Strong, reliable allies who have reason to trust us in return. Peace.

Estonia's greatest asset is its people. We must do everything possible to ensure there are many people to carry the Estonian language and culture forward. To ensure that those who are born here can have the best life and the best education and grow up to be good people.

Estonia must be the best place to live, raise children and grow old, to invent and write poetry, to pursue science and do business. Free, cool, happy, exciting, vibrant and evolving. Everyone must have the opportunity to feel that they themselves and their lives, work and creations have value.

Aliis Aalmann's slam poem at President Alar Karis' reception in the Rose Garden was, to my mind, about trust. More precisely, the lack of it:

"A teacher must be a mission-driven, do-everything being capable of living — no, not on air and love — but on constant questioning and having to prove themselves. The need to guide students to think for themselves is emphasized, as though no one had ever done that before. The need to develop students' competencies is emphasized, as though no one had ever done that before. There are those who know what is right, and the rest are teachers."

In its own way, this resonated with Teodor van Dijk's performance of the Genialistid song "Õpetaja" ("Teacher") on Independence Day evening this year:

"Where are you, my good teacher?
Why didn't you teach me how to live?
Why can't I make it with just a smile?"

The instructions, rules, reporting requirements and oversight that constrain enterprise, creativity and ingenuity — and that same teacher — are, after all, expressions of distrust. They did not come from nowhere. Yet we could and should trust.

We need much more trust. All of us, in our lives. Let us not expect someone above us to prescribe how we must live, think and feel. It simply cannot be true that the state knows best how to live and breathe, how to take initiative. Those who take initiative are the ones who understand enterprise.

Let us trust teachers and doctors. Let us trust children and young people. Gardeners. Scientists. Journalists. Police officers. Cooks. People in the countryside and in cities. Neighbors. Our elected representatives. Let us trust one another. And let us always give one another reason to do so.

A good education should enable a person living here to be both a virtuoso in the use of technology and highly skilled in their profession, while also being able to make a bookshelf and tend a garden bed with their own hands, or make a cutlet and a pair of gloves if they want or need to. They should feel at home in the world as well because their worldview is broad and they speak languages — not just Estonian and English, but more besides. And, of course, they should feel at home in their own country, in its forests and on its seas, because this is our cherished place on Earth.

A small country with a smart people can create benefits for everyone by leading innovation through cooperation among nations, while benefiting itself as well. Benefit also means being needed and recognized as such. That is one guarantee of security.

As a small nation, we must stick together. We should passionately debate our goals for the future and the paths that will take us there. For the sake of finding answers and solutions! Just as Eiki, Siim, Mart, Edgar, Marju, Tunne, Liia, Jüri and many others did. When necessary, let us respectfully agree to disagree, but let us look out for one another. It is our Estonia, after all, our people.

When did it happen that people stopped fighting for the best possible future for Estonia and instead began so often fighting one another, regardless of what might become of that future?

Whatever happened, happened; from here on, we must do better. Instead of saying, "Where you see a fault, go and criticize," let us follow the wisdom of our forebears, as befits our own country: Go and help!

We must do our utmost to reduce the number of people who have reason to feel bad, who have been treated unfairly, bullied or humiliated at home, at school or in the workplace, who have gone without or been left behind. Best of all, there should be none. This should be everyone's task — to notice, help and support and in doing so build strength and Estonia's greatness. So that those who are struggling are not left alone, but are helped to spread their wings, too.

Here in Estonia, every soul counts and is worth its weight in gold.

May there be more humor, laughter, initiative and lightness in life. All it takes is closing the computer, putting down the phone and stepping out of the world shaped by algorithms.

You have surely noticed that there are women and men who survived occupation and terrible hardships whose zest for life remains contagious.

Bright-eyed young people at our universities and in laboratories abroad, and in vocational schools where they acquire skills that will be so essential in the future. The exciting pop culture and style of our young people.

A village folk-dance group, a family choir — and so good that they're headed straight for the Song and Dance Celebration!

The Lüllemäe village soccer boys — they learned from the masters they saw on YouTube and television and now, with the support of a coach, they are winning tournaments.

Farmers who proudly say: Look at these magnificent sheep, the best cattle and chickens around. Look at those fields of grain! See, a golden-green tomato growing right outdoors!

Narva's Victoria Bastion. Excellent guides. And bats sleeping peacefully through the winter.

Members of the Estonian Defense League. The Women's Voluntary Defense Organization. Volunteer rescuers. Young members of the Defense League.

Merike Estna at the Venice Biennale.

Nina Petrõkina and Baruto. Arvo Pärt and Jaan Tallinn. Just a tiny selection — the list is long.

A small country is like an elite athlete or a great artist: never an off-the-shelf project, but always tailor-made. Steering a small country toward the top in competition with nearly 200 countries and more than 8 billion people is an extraordinary goal. I am not afraid of that challenge and I know most of our people are not either.

Bearing the responsibility of government requires trustworthiness, foresight and fairness. Without them, we cannot survive and remain united. Past, present and future generations of the Estonian people deserve that.

At the Office of the Chancellor of Justice, we end every working day knowing that we have addressed people's concerns, resolved cases of administrative harassment, provided sound advice, made Estonia better and, through international cooperation, made its presence larger. Working alongside my extraordinary colleagues has given me a thorough understanding of Estonia and a belief that through cooperation, most problems can be solved and needless resentment reduced.

Yes, Estonia is on the front line of security for all of Europe and the entire free West. But that line holds because our predecessors had the wisdom to restore independence, to hurry to catch up with the free world and to build a safe country free of corruption.

They had the vision and ingenuity to steer Estonia into the European Union and NATO. Not simply to coast along, but to help build a shared future. I watch and listen to our police officers and members of the Defense Forces, our diplomats and statesmen, with sincere gratitude and civic pride.

I feel respect and reverence.

I feel a responsibility to our people.

I feel a responsibility to Estonia.

I am certain that together we can make Estonia greater, happier and stronger.

I am ready to assume the responsibility of head of state if you, esteemed members of the Riigikogu, entrust it to me.

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