At what point do things become so difficult?

Yesterday we enjoyed the afternoon at Lynnhurst Park. The weather was beautiful and the kids and parents were on a high. I stood in the middle of the playground holding Myles (two weeks old) and keeping my eye on Max, while Chad chased the fearless Aidan. Max approached a teeter-totter, which was occupied by a mother and her 5 year old son (Her husband was on the bench checking his blackberry. I later learned that he is employed at Target). The two of them were having a riot "accelerating" as he called it. As Max got closer the Mom slowed down and explained to her son how she didn't want to scare him. I was w/in 10 feet and kept calling for Max, but he wasn't responding. The 5 year old suddenly said, "just come over here and get him already!"

His Mother and I shared a glance of both awe and envy. Kids are so pure and simple, along with brutally honest.

That night I was thinking of the wise 5 year old on the teeter-totter and I tried to pin-point when life becomes so difficult. Is it when you leave the house for the first day of school, when you get your license, when you become 18 and move away from home? Or does it stem from day 1, when you become a sponge?

Life needn't be so complicated. Thank you to the 5 year old at the park! My new goal is to keep it simple and I'll start by not over-analyzing matters (ironic, I know).