Back to Basics: Life Lessons from "Rugrats"

Rugrats: 90's cartoon classic and staple in my brother's and my childhood. As a "big kid" (more along the ages of 5 or 6) it was funny to look at babies and their thoughts on the world around them, including the lyrics to "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and thinking a lizard is the child of a cartoon dinosaur.

But recently, I watched an episode of Rugrats that made me realize that the fictitious thoughts and opinions of babies help us understand the simplicity of some things in life.

To give some context: at this point, the babies are all children of three sets of parents that are friends and neighbors: the Pickles(s), the DeVilles, and the Finsters. In this episode, the Pickles and DeVille parents fight in a game of charades, insulting each other. The two sets of parents end up in a fight that breaks the relationship. The Devilles then take their children home, and they end up fighting.

This is where it gets familiar.

Mr. Pickles starts building a fence on the edge of their property. Both families insult each other through Mr. Finster, who wasn't there for the fight and is still friends with both. Most importantly, the DeVille and Pickles kids don't get to play with each other.

The babies are confused and sad, 

"Why are our mommies and daddies yelling at each other?"

"I wish the grown ups would stop fighting."

"I don't know if they will ever come over and play again."

It took until the kids got lost in the park while the parents were fighting to realize that they were being petty the whole time, and leaving behind the most important things in their lives–their children.

BACK TO REAL LIFE: Thankfully, I've never come into this situation with my parents and their friends. But sadly, it's happening all around me. There is an unbelievable anger and stubbornness happening all of the time. And sometimes it can only be broken up with more chaos, whether it be the loss of a child or a loss of a sense of family, security, peace.

To my friends, regardless of who you are or where you lie, the first mistake you are making is not talking to the other side. Whether it's a simple little fight, or if it's a huge political storm, you are forgetting what is important. What is life going to be like for your children; will we love or spite the world and the people in it? The children will decide if the world will continue in love or hate. Keep your Dill, Chuckie, Phil, and Lilly together; they will one day be the world you leave behind.