Oh, children.

This past week, I had the opportunity to volunteer as an aide in a Chinese immersion classroom. Not only were the first graders adorable, but I also had a chance to work with two native speakers (the teachers). My brain had to work overtime, but I understood almost everything they said and could carry on a fairly decent conversation--not bad after 2 years of language study.

Anyway, I absolutely love kids. These first graders were so cute--their world is small. Little things make or break their day. Having their crayon drawing complimented gives them so much joy; not being chosen for a little game can make them cry. After only a few days, they've already made friends. They're the most open, loving people in the world. They invited me to play with them, told me all the exciting and important news in their life, and constantly sought approval. The classroom was their entire world.

The other night, I started thinking more deeply, and I came to the conclusion that I'm still a child in a lot of ways. I feel like I'm growing up, but my world is still so limited. The tiniest nuances of life make my emotions run wild. And then I realized that in the eternal scheme of things, we're all still children. Compared to forever, what are life's ecstasies and heartbreaks? We get so caught up in things that don't really matter, because we don't have perspective.

I'm not sure where I'm going with this now, but I feel like this was an important discovery for me.

再见！