bendoeslife:

Meet Koy. 

Koy is 12 years old and last week when his grandmother saw in the local paper that the tour was coming through, she had the idea to bring him out. 

Six years from now, Koy wants to be accepted into the military academy, so he’s taking control of his life, buckling down, putting one foot in front of the other and making it happen. 

His will to finish this 5K—his first ever (first time running at all)—really struck me. We ran some, we walked some, but we talked a lot. This kid really has his head on straight and is one of the smartest people I’ve ever met.

What struck me most, though, was how much of myself I saw in him. He’s going into 7th grade, plays video games, and wants desperately to be healthier. Where we differ though, is that he has the fortitude to actually do something about it at such a young age. It didn’t take long for me to realize this little man is wise beyond his years. Incredibly bright, affable, and funny. He really sees the world as it’s meant to be seen: through a lens of hope and optimism.

We talked about simple things like swimming, cycling, and bonded over our love for dinner rolls (we both go back for seconds). We talked about Canada and the world, and he taught me about foreign countries. But the one thing I’ll remember always, and the thing that floored me the most, so eloquent in its simplicity was when he gave me his thoughts on how the world can get a little better: 

“We need to stop trying to be better than each other and just work together. There are so many cultures, and so many lifestyles, but we all want the same thing… to make the world a better place, we just have to work together.” —Koy, age 12. 

Here’s to you, Koy. You give me lots of hope for the next generation.

Totally met this kid today. He was pretty freaking awesome and definitely wise beyond his years.