Icky worms

Sometimes the wisest people you encounter aren't even tall enough to go on all of the rides at amusement parks.

And they certainly don't have prestigious academic degrees and titles.

I was getting froyo the other day, and I couldn't help but be drawn to the conversation going on between a mom and her young daughter. The little girl got very upset—and understandably so—when her mom tried to put gummy worms in the girl's yogurt cup. Now, normally I love gummies, but these were the sour kind, so the child was completely justified in her protest to such an addition. I couldn't help but giggle and nod my head in agreement when the mom asked her daughter why not, and the girl yelled out, "I don't want those icky worms near my pretty yogurt!"

Now that's just sound logic.

I glanced down at her yogurt, and she was right—it was certainly very pretty. In her young age, she had somehow managed to combine just the perfect ratio of candy to yogurt. It was colorful and lacked any amount of ickiness to it, so the sour worms would have completely ruined her marvelous concoction.

Gross

As I finished creating my own cup of greatness, I couldn't help but think of just how much wisdom could be found in such an innocent statement: "I don't want those icky worms near my pretty yogurt!" Life is full of so bad many things that can sour even the most wonderful times, leaving us staring at cups full of tainted froyo, so to speak. But, just like the little girl at the frozen yogurt counter, we have the option not to allow them to bring ugliness into our lives.

Yet far too often we pile them on top, anyway.

And it can be something as simple as a bad attitude. Each day, you get the choice to decide what your outlook on life will be: you can choose to embrace each situation you're given—including the awful ones—and try to find joy and hope within the struggles, or you can opt to complain about the unfairness and let everyone around you feel your misery. Essentially, you can have pretty and delicious yogurt, or you can put the icky worms in place and not enjoy a single spoonful.

Life is too short for sourness to win. I know I would much rather leave those worms at the counter and not let them spoil any amount of joy to be experienced. You make time for the things you want in life, and I would prefer not to make time for things that will only bring people down. This gift we've been given to live here on earth is a precious one and should be treated just as if it were some innocent little girl's dairy delicacy.

Once again, it's faith like a child that teaches so much truth.