The youth

It's the end of another sizzling summer in California. The sun gleams against the cerulean sky, the eucalyptus leaves rustle in the light breeze and... I'm lying in bed, swaddled in blankets and mourning the start of my free time. Most teenage girls would be thrilled to have time to go to the beach and snap hipster photos of their iced froofy blah-blah-blahs from Starbucks. But for me, the free time brings a sense of emptiness that cannot be quelled by Starbucks or hang-out time with friends. This melancholy was not brought on by the impending school year nor the fact that I won't look good in my swim team suit, but by the end of summer camp and my stint as a CIT.
For the past six weeks I have spent my days chasing small children, hot gluing costumes and supervising art projects. I complained ceaselessly about how tired I was or how obstinate the kids were, but no matter how loudly they screamed or how irritated I was, I really did love them. Those kids brought me immeasurable amounts of joy and now that camp is over, I find that my life seems meaningless without them.

I became one of those annoying mothers who posts photos of their kids on Facebook and brags about them to their friends and family. Watching them dance and sing themselves into shining stars was such a wonderful experience. Whenever they would hug me or smile at me, it was like the whole world glowed and everything was a little bit brighter. The thing about little kids is that they aren't superficial. As we grow older we tend to care more and more about things like looks and the way other people think about us. But kids don't care, you don't have to do your makeup or shave your legs for 5-year-olds. You don't have to try to hard or regret what you say. By surrounding myself with these children I learned about the things that were really important. Your eyeliner and dress size won't gain you any friends. In the end, kindness and compassion are the only things that matter. You should do things that make you happy and feel free to be yourself. If you do, you are sure to find that people are much more drawn to you than they ever were before. 

♡