That's cool that you mention the Big Brothers Big Sisters thing - I always wanted to do that too but I haven't. For me it's mainly because I'm more of a mess with substance abuse and stuff... I think it might be a really positive thing for you though. As long as you're good with kids you don't have to have all of your own stuff figured out. All you really need to do is be willing to engage with them and give them your time and attention.

A friend of mine is a nanny for a family of four and I go and hang out with the kids like once a week. I've been spending time with them for like 4-5 years now and they are like my little cousins or nieces/nephews. Based on your post I can guarantee I am a much bigger emotional wreck than you are (no offense ) and these kids think I am the *greatest* just because I'm willing to bounce a ball around with them, play legos, explain things they don't understand, or whatever - you name it. If I spend 15 minutes picking up heavy rocks with the 7-year-old to look for bugs and explain how potato bugs turn into balls to protect themselves when they're scared she thinks I'm the greatest human alive. All kids want/need is someone that is willing to engage them on their level and it makes a huge difference to them.

I think you should consider doing it if you're willing to put in the time. These kids honestly make a huge positive difference in my life - I was just at a labor day cookout with them today and it really lifts my spirits to spend time with them. All I have to do is be willing to pay attention to them and they give me 10x more back. The 4-year-old (who loves super-heroes) was telling his mom that he wants me to move in with them - he cares about me so much and it's just because I'm willing to spend time pushing him on the swing and playing his imaginary games and will pretend like I'm the hulk fighting "bad guys" with him.

It's really rewarding - I hope you will consider BBBS when you're ready for it because you don't need to have everything in your life figured out to make a huge difference in the life of a child. The kids I'm talking about have all their "needs" taken care of and aren't BBBS candidates, but even though their family has money their family situation is not very stable and I know that I am making a big difference for them by always being there for them week in and week out (as we all know money doesn't equal family stability).

So that's my speech about children and how they can really improve your life while you're improving theirs. I think BBBS is one of the best charities and writing this post is making me want to become a big brother myself even though I already kind of have 3 little sisters and 1 little brother.