Inspiration

Inspiration... inspired... to be inspired... who inspires me? Between high school essays, college applications, and other random occasion of writing, I feel I've been asked this question a million times. This should be easy. But for some reason it's not. My mom, of course. My dad, yes. I want to take it a little further.

To say that my five year old sister, Hannah, inspires me would be completely true. Kids are a weird breed. They jump around like maniacs provoked for no apparent reason. They yell when it is clearly unnecessary. They ask questions they already know the answer to. Children can sometimes be very senseless beings. But why is that? Based on what I've said so far you could probably make a case of mental instability; kids are just kids, they're crazy! And then they grow out of it.

Obviously I'm going somewhere else with this. Yes, I am inspired by my little sister because of all of the above (her craziness? no). But what does Hannah have that I don't? Or should I say what does she NOT have to that I do? Worries! She has care-free life! She can laugh, cry, sing, dance, and speak whenever she feels the need. When did I lose that? When did my childhood clock time out? When will her's?

Everyday when I come home from work or school, Hannah is home with my mom and brother. What she may do when i get home is unkown until she does it. There is no prelude. She will plunge into a story about her day, or attempt a front hand spring right at my feet, or thrust a new project at me that she completed that day. She doesn't wonder if I had a bad day at work. She could care less whether I had enough money to fill my gas tank. Hannah cares about the here and now. Just sitting there and relaxing is not an option. She is a very literal interpretation of carpe diem, SIEZE THE DAY! Seize the moment, before it's gone. A little girl like Hannah will not try to make you upset. She wants to share her experiences with you. Showing the world her self is important! In a way, she won't think about where you've been; she only cares about is where you are now.

Maybe a child is not exactly thinking in these terms. A child may be thinking me me me. But that is just it. Hannah inspires me to be care free. I should think in terms of MYSELF and not others. Who cares if i laugh when no one else does or have a different opinion. When in our lives do we forget to think for ourselves? Hannah reminds me to do that everyday.