I think everyone is still a little kid deep down. Young kids represent the true meaning of innocence. I wish we could hold onto this quality throughout life because you can clearly see how kids find happiness in the littlest of things. Life can get pretty complicated, but I think a lot of the time we tend to complicate it ourselves. We forget to stop and smell the roses sometimes, something a little kid does everyday. Although we all have to grow up, I think it's important to keep this aspect of happiness in our lives because we confuse what's important with what isn't.

Watching my sister grow up with an eight year age difference between us, I've realized that she's taught me more than I could ever teach her. My sister is the most resilient 11-year-old you'll ever meet. She's been playing hockey with boys her whole life. The funny thing is, she's always stuck right with them, never afraid of being knocked down by someone bigger than her. Most of us are so afraid of failing that we don't pursue what we want in life. It gets harder as we get older to stand back up after we've been knocked down because of the embarrassment and disappointment we feel. Little kids don't have that fear; they will chase after what they love. So what's holding us back? Truthfully, the answer to that question is nothing. If a little 5-year-old girl can get back up time and time again to learn how to skate, you can too. If you don't get your dream job, try again. If you don't make your high school sports team, try again. Or if you want to try something new, you should do it. It didn't stop my sister, and everyone has to start somewhere.

This week I went back to my old elementary school to do some observation hours for my major. I visited a variety of grades from first to fifth and all of the kids welcomed me with open arms. I got to go to lunch and recess with the younger kids, and it brought back a lot of memories. It's hard to remember a time in class where I wasn't afraid to raise my hand to answer a question. Even in college I'm still afraid because I could be wrong and be embarrassed. All the kids raised their hands to answer questions because they don't care what others think of them. They all play together on the playground and help each other when one is hurt. There's no "popular" kids or cliques like there are when we get older. Sometimes I wish life could remain this simple.

I wasn't sure if I'd be a good teacher at first, but this experience taught me it's something I really love. I realized that maybe the kids are teachers too, teaching us how to live life a little simpler. This didn't dawn on me until one of the first graders took my hand and said, "You're a good teacher." I guess we're all just looking for a little validation in life that we're heading down the right path, and mine came from a 6-year-old.