If you’ve logged on to Google in the last few days, you may have noticed the search engine’s recent theme, the venerable TV show “Sesame Street.”

The reason for this tribute is this year marks “Sesame Street’s” 40th anniversary. This impressive run has prompted us to follow Google’s lead and pay tribute to the show, which has impacted the lives of children, ourselves included, for four decades.

Like several generations before us, many of today’s college students grew up watching “Sesame Street.” Twenty-year-old OU students and 45-year-old OU professors both have this in common. We all know who Big Bird is, what Oscar the Grouch looks like and that Cookie Monster specializes in spelling.

These characters have touched so many lives, and not just because they have been entertaining for so long (although they have). They have impacted so many because they teach us valuable lessons that we, as college students, can still use today.

Lessons like kindness do not go out of style. And apparently “Sesame Street” doesn’t either.

We hope the show stays in production for at least another 40 years.

How cool would it be if our generation’s offspring grow up with Big Bird, just like we did? As times change and technology advances at faster speeds, institutions like “Sesame Street” are harder and harder to come by.

So congratulations on making it this far, “Sesame Street.” We hope to come visit the neighborhood for many more years to come.