During this weird pandemic/major social injustice/crisis after crisis time, I need something positive to remind me why the world is a beautiful place. There are so many horrible things happening that need to be discussed and fixed, and this article is not to take away from those things. We are in a health crisis and a humanitarian crisis, at the same dang time. Hard and uncomfortable conversations are finally being had, yet progress in either of these vital areas is nothing but slow (and that is an incredibly optimistic statement).

But you know something that is consistently good? A kid. Kids cannot fathom hatred and death. They are not born to understand horrible problems with unnecessarily complicated solutions. Kids see the best in people, most see quick solutions to problems, and they all have an innocence that adults could use more of any day of the week. I love kids. They represent everything good in the world, and they will never realize that fact. Peter Pan figured it out so much earlier than the rest of us, but instead of not growing up, I choose to appreciate the little monsters for everything they are and everything they are not.

They are brutally honest

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I have stated more than once how much I appreciate honesty and sincerity, but this is a whole new level. Kids will tell you the truth time and time again. They observe and report. They ask questions without worrying about how socially acceptable it might be. If you look at their little faces, their expressions hide nothing. I love every second of it, and I wish we would stay like this.

Kids think things are usually simple

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Simple problems and simple solutions. Kids don't think of life like it's a chess game, it's a tic tac toe match. The tendency to overcomplicate life doesn't fit into their quick attention spans, and that fact makes them more efficient than most adults I have met.

They don't worry about the future

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Unless we are talking the next meal or a big event they have been told about, they don't worry about what the next six months of their live's look like, even the most anxious little turkeys. They have the capacity to live in the present, and I think if we could all do that we could all save a lot of time on asking how we could be happier.

The lil monsters enjoy the smallest things

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The smallest things bring sheer joy to them. The butterfly that landed on their knee? The trash man waving at them? The extra scoop of ice cream? Best. Day. Ever. Life is sweet when the little details make you happy.

They are quick to forgive

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Forgiveness is not something that is particularly easy for yours truly, so this trait is one I wish they could share with me. They are so quick to forgive, so quick to forget, so receptacle to any form of apology. Kids have bigger hearts than they do heads, and wearing it on their sleeve is one of the things we could gain from them.

Kids love first

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Kids are quick to love. They are curious little buggers, yet I find that their capacity to love is even more immediate. New friends are made fast and painlessly. They want hugs and they believe you when you tell them how great they are and they think so many things about everyone are cool. They see the world with rosy glasses, and they will love you without trying.