The Power of Youth

I believe in listening to the smallest voice in the room.

At a certain chapter in life, a close-knit family of six was broken apart. This change was brought about by the departure of the eldest of four children. The family lived in the state of New York and the first born planned to fly to the other side of the country to attend the University of California, Los Angeles. Nervous and excited of what his new life would bring him, he boarded the airplane with tears in his eyes. He looked back at his family only to find them in tears as well. After many years of eating, sleeping, fighting and living together, it was hard to see him go.

When the family entered the house a short period after dropping him off, it became an unusual place. Everyone was still sobbing when suddenly a calm sound filled the air and hushed the crying. The voice came from the back of the room and called out, “I know how you feel. Don’t cry. He will be back before you know it!” The voice belonged to a six year old girl, the youngest in the family. Her intentions were to comfort her older sister who could not contain herself. She accomplished her goal and ultimately changed the emotional dynamic in a moment’s time. The young girl had beautiful, long, golden hair down to her hips. She spoke with compassion. That little girl was me.

After the words were spoken, my mother was swollen with pride. In our native language, Farsi, she began praising me and thanking me for caring so much about my older sister. She was not aware of the fact that a six year old was capable of handling such situations so boldly, and therefore began admiring me. This taught me a life lesson.

I believe that the experience that I encountered bears a resemblance to life. An individual should grasp onto important incidents such as this and apply it to his or her life. This experience demonstrates that people should not underestimate the power of youth and innocence in understanding the world at large. A child’s perception is priceless and should be taken advantage of when given the chance. People should listen to the smaller voices because often times the smallest voice speaks with the greatest volume. Yes, this I believe.