Title: Il Faut Que Jeunesse Se Passe // Youth Must Happen. "There is a French proverb that says "Il faut que jeunesse se passe", which literally translates to "youth must happen". The concept of youth being wild and carefree is a luxury that most do not experience, but every child should have the right to dream, to hope and to have fun. As I roamed the streets of Lyon, France, I couldn't help but notice this small group of children playing before me. It was as if they were completely lost in their own imaginary world. I had just returned from a teaching internship in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, where most children their age do not share the same luxuries as they do. In fact, most of the Guatemalan youth found on the streets are not indulging in their youth, but working arduously (and sometimes at ungodly hours) to earn money for their parents instead of attending school. For this reason, they tend to grow up too fast and never really experience being a child. Forced to face the seemingly endless facets of grown-up problems, they leave behind their youth at a very young age. This presents a stark contrast to these French children who, blissfully unaware of this reality, take delight in their playground. This brief moment of the sun shining atop the children's' shoulders as they continued to play really took my breath away, reminding me of what childhood really should be about. As the children huddled together that Fall afternoon, they involuntarily created their own shield from the chaos of the world surrounding them. I sought to capture this innocent and soft essence of youth that I feel all children bear right to. Children should have the right to be children and enjoy their youth; to be wild and free without bearing the burden of tomorrow. As the UN Convention Rights of the Child states: every child has the right to play and enjoy whenever they have the opportunity."