You're still a kid

I sometimes miss watching Saturday morning cartoons.

I don't always like the responsibilities that come with being an adult. I really hate bills—especially student loan payments—and it seems really silly to work so many hours and have almost every penny you make be given to people you've never met who work for entities about which you probably know nothing.

Especially if those things involve the letters IRS.

And then there are the expectations. We are taught to act certain ways in various situations, to wear certain clothes, to interact with certain people, to avoid interacting with certain people, to exercise a certain amount of time every day, to eat certain foods and not eat certain foods, to avoid discussing certain "taboo" topics in public, to date and marry certain people—the list could obviously keep going for a really long time.

I remember when things used to be so simple.

This is life.

I remember when a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a hug from my mom suddenly made my bike-accident-skinned-knee pain go away; when one of my parents holding my hand suddenly made everything around me safer; when my sister and I played in the backyard and suddenly escaped into a different world where we made up imaginary people and places; when wearing a backwards baseball cap and following my brother around everywhere was normal; when playing outside until the sun went down and we couldn't see anymore was carefree and completely acceptable; when deadlines didn't exist; when I had someone to tuck me in every night when I went to sleep; when the Internet and every social network there is didn't exist; when I didn't even know what name brands were; when life was all about just finding the joy in everyday circumstances and not stressing about things that truly don't make much difference in the grand scheme of things.

And I miss that.

Sure, there are certain things about growing up that are wonderful. There's much more freedom—yet there's much less freedom at the same time. It's certainly nice to be able to become the individual you were meant to be, but that also has to come in God's timing and when you're not caught up in what the world wants you to be.

When we're young, one reason we don't really worry about much is because we have so much dependence on the people who care for us. There's a sense of trust, and we don't have as many responsibilities. But, when we get older, we tend to try to take all of the weight of everything on our own shoulders, and we allow it all to bog us down and sometimes even cause us worry and anxiety. The truth is, though, that we don't have to do that. We still have Someone who is there to care for us—someone who will hold our hands and make everything around us much safer.

We may be adults, but we're also all still kids.

And there is certainly reason to find joy in letting your heart remember that.