Looking After Your Inner Baby

The secret about adulthood is that there is no secret. Maybe we have a bit more knowledge and life experience, and are able to better trust our instincts, but essentially we are all just large children drinking wine and saying words like "ameliorate" and "aubergine" and "pentameter".

When I was younger I remember thinking that adulthood would be great, because I'd get to do what I wanted and stay up all night watching Have I Got News For You. That is sort of true, but not really. I have more freedom, but I think I expected to feel different as an adult. I do feel different in subtle ways as my perceptions have changed and grown, but I'm still an idiot who will eat an entire Easter egg for dinner.

The point is, we are all massive babies who have discovered fruity cider. We still need to parent ourselves, learn stuff, and lie down with a cuddly toy and a nice lasagne sometimes. It's okay to still not really understand how to like, be a real adult person. We might grow up and learn how to pay taxes, but that doesn't mean we stop being our child selves. I still enjoy denim jackets just like I did at ten years old. and I still sometimes cry like I've broken a leg when I've just spilled a drink. Actually I can be quite a crier, which is why it's important to replace my electrolytes (I learned that from adulthood). But you know, as big babies, we all need looking after. Wrapping ourselves in good cardigans, cuddling cats, having nice showers. That sort of thing.

It's nice to gain the agency to support yourself and be able to decide on the best things for yourself, but sometimes we're pushed too hard, as if becoming an adult means you become an emotionless robot. It's important to remember we are still squishy little humans at any age, and we deserve compassion and love and good feelings, and we are still allowed to be childish.