I was walking to a coffee shop yesterday morning and smiled as a gaggle of young girls clad in their perfectly pressed school uniforms crossed Fillmore Street. It was in many ways a scene that depicted the commencement of Fall in San Francisco, but also had me thinking about youth. As they scurried down the street, They squawked on about some juicy tale involving a young lad and an embarrassing encounter, as if the world was ending in front of their very eyes. Their voices were heightened with drama, yet they projected an innocent dose of naivety. When I'm feeling challenged by some of the realities of adulthood, I often find myself thinking about my youth and how little I had to worry about. This past weekend, I watched a tiny handsome tot crawl across the manicured sand of the beach club to a nearby lounge chair with the greatest gusto. He was so determined and enlightened to have embarked on this small journey across the sand and knew all eyes were on this endeavor of his. As the adults stood around in a circle fixated on this young one, I felt so joyful to see him overcome such a proud feat and it reminded me that in every stage of life, we face challenges. Perhaps most important, is our perspective as we face these challenges. It can be difficult to keep it at times, but if we manage to approach some of our trials and tribulations with the same gusto, strength and grace as that little baby, life might seem a little more manageable.

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