As many of you know, the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus is going to take its final bow in May. After 146 years of circus tours, one of the most popular shows has decided to step out of the ring.

For many of us, this circus was a big part of our childhood. I remember going year after year, and I loved it each and every time. My parents would take my siblings and me, and we would load up on junk food and souvenirs. I always looked forward to it each year, as I'm sure a lot of people did.

For many, this circus ending has come as quite a shock. For others, they have been waiting for this day for a long time.

While the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus name has a lot of nostalgic memories attached to it, it also has a pretty bad reputation. In fact, their reputation is what led to their downfall.

Their mistreatment of their animals, especially their elephants, went viral a few years back when photographic evidence and video footage surfaced. Organizations like PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and other animal rights activists immediately began protesting the rights of the circus animals -- certainly not the kind of publicity this company wanted or needed.

In order to alleviate all of this negative exposure, they eventually decided to eliminate elephants from their show. Except that didn't really benefit them because then their ticket sales dropped dramatically.

Hence, bye bye Barnum & Bailey.

However, if the Ringling Bros. Circus is one of your favorites, you aren't totally at a loss because they still have a few more shows left in their final tour. Tickets can be purchased here.

And if you are happy about this circus closing up shop, I am right there with you.

Thank you, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, for some of my favorite childhood memories with my family. Thank you for also realizing your treatment of animals was horrendous and putting an end to it. I can at least respect you for that.