August 15, 2018
By: Holly Kays
My car is usually something of a mess, a magnet for loose papers, empty food wrappers and an impressively random assortment of items packed for some excursion or another but never returned to their proper place. Such was the case the day of my first-ever outing as a big sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, and so I judiciously set aside a few minutes before leaving to clear out the passenger seat — though mostly by tossing all the junk covering it into the back.
When I arrived at the house, my new best friend Emily, age 8, was ready and waiting on the porch. She gave me a bear hug, and to my surprise bypassed the passenger door of the car to attempt a climb into the now doubly messy back seat.
Of course, I realized. Eight-year-olds sit in the back. I felt foolish as I realized how long it had been since I’d hung out in kid world.
Fast-forward 18 months, and my kid world experience level has risen substantially. Emily and I have gone hiking and swimming, produced a variety of culinary creations, made friends at church, watched movies together and taken the playground by storm, among other adventures. As it turns out, kid world is pretty fun.
