Everybody knows who Charlie Brown is. Whether you’re young or old, you'll be able to recognize that iconic yellow shirt from a mile away. Charlie Brown and the rest of the Peanuts gang have been entertaining generations of people for many years now. From the original comic strips, to the animated TV specials and most recently an animated feature length film, the late Charles Schulz has proven that the Peanuts are a timeless classic. While the Peanuts have been keeping me personally entertained since I was a little boy and first saw A Charlie Brown Christmas, I’ve also learned many important life lessons from them. More specifically, I’ve learned many things about growing up from Charlie Brown himself. These lessons are ones that I feel anyone can relate to, and it is never too late to learn them.

The basic premise of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts is one that anyone should be able to summarize. Charlie Brown is a kid who is absolutely brimming with optimism, but it always seems like the whole world is conspiring against him. It can be a beautiful and bright sunny day, with the only thought in Charlie Brown’s mind being how much he wants to fly his kite. Then suddenly out of nowhere, a storm will blow in and whisk his kite away, leaving Charlie Brown to exclaim his classic “good grief.” But Charlie Brown never let’s things get him down for very long. He will be upset for the moment, but he will always brush off what just happened and head straight to his next goal. Charlie Brown teaches us to always look on the bright side of things and to never give up. Things are not always going to go your way, and sometimes it may seem like nobody wants you to succeed, but it is important to persevere. Charlie Brown wakes up every morning, greets his best friend Snoopy and tells himself that “today is going to be a great day.”

While Charlie Brown always tries to look at the glass as half full, even he is not immune to being broken down. He is used to things not going his way, but sometimes it is too much for even him to handle. When these moments occur, Charlie Brown can always count on his friends and family to be there for him. Snoopy is always there to make him laugh and encourage him, Linus is always there with words of inspiration, Lucy is always there to give him sound advice (though she can be a little rough) and his little sister Sally is always there to cheer up her big brother. The Peanuts teaches us that it is important to have people in your life that love and care for you, and want you to succeed. We are who we are because of the people connected to us, and we can only grow by making those connections stronger.

The Peanuts have proven themselves as pop culture icons over the years, not just because of their entertainment value, but because of their strong life lessons. I’ve learned many things from watching Charlie Brown and his friends in addition to the points I’ve already mentioned, such as being open to trying new things and having self-confidence. I hope that many people for years to come will be able to enjoy and celebrate Charles Schulz’s classic creation, and carry the lessons that they hold with them for the rest of their lives.