​​​There are many things that can remind someone of their childhood –
the star stickers that glow softly in the room at night, random playful stickers on the doorframe, cherished stuffed animals, or even a favorite blanket still tucked away somewhere, kept well into adulthood.
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I’m not sure about you, but after hearing and getting to know both the beautiful and the more difficult stories from that time, I’ve realized how significant and vulnerable that phase is for a child, especially in how one grows into adulthood.
How certain misconceptions from the past can become deeply ingrained in a person’s mind. How some scars, recurring conflicts, or strained relationships can shape one’s identity, thoughts, and emotions as an adult.
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In short: the way they see their world.
When I hear those stories, my stomach feels heavy.
It’s like a quiet battle between their mind and body.
Making many descisions or even no descisions at all – out of fear.
Some might believe that they are simply “not good enough.”
And if this inner turmoil becomes louder, one might even begin to question “what’s the point of their existence?”
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I would hate to end a text on a sad note, so I also want to add, that I know for certain there are people out there who have managed to turn their stories around.
Sometimes, I am in awe of how those people came to accept their past.
In that acceptance, I feel like they began to search for other meanings in life –
other ways to help them see and shape their world differently.
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Sometimes those ways are found in close friends, a good listener at work, your sister, a patient teacher, or even a complete stranger.
I am glad that those people exist.
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It may take time to see the world differently –
but if you are one of them, I hope you will make it.
And to those who had a great childhood, I hope you cherished that time, and still do,
whenever you’re reminded of it.