By Sage Francis Belcina
I once believed that adults were somehow entirely different from me. I thought they had their own way of having fun, distant and mature, far from the silliness of childhood. But as I grew older and entered adulthood myself, I realized the difference I imagined was never really there.
The people around me, no matter their age, still carry their inner child—even if it hides beneath the surface. I began to notice it in their laughter, in their stubbornness, and in the small joys that revealed they were not so different from the children they once were. When I was young, I never recognized this side of adults because I only saw them through the lens of authority.
Parents seemed busy managing households, teachers appeared strict in classrooms, and older relatives carried themselves with a seriousness that I mistook for complete maturity. My young mind assumed that adulthood was a world completely separate from mine. What I didn’t realize then was that their playful fragments were always present. I just wasn’t able to see them from where I stood as a child.
Knowing that adults still have their wholesome inner child matters because it reminds us that growing older does not turn us into boring old individuals; rather, the essence of who we are remains.
That playful, curious, and joyful part of ourselves is what makes life lighter, even in the face of responsibilities and struggles. It is through our inner child that we dare to dream of the impossible and find ways to turn it into reality. Without it, adulthood would be nothing more than boring routines and burdens. The presence of the inner child allows us to connect with others and to heal. Embracing it is what keeps us fully alive, proving that while our bodies may age, our spirit can remain forever young.
