The child within us that never grows up

Time passes. Days chase each other, months blend into years, and we think we are growing up. But deep inside, there is still a child who never ages. A child who still finds joy in the taste of a simple candy, who still watches raindrops race down a window with quiet fascination, who still wants to believe in bedtime stories.

We convince ourselves that we have grown up. The weight of life presses down on our shoulders, and we assume we have left childhood behind. But then, a scent, a song, or the distant laughter of children playing in the streets pulls us back—back to a time when the world was simpler, back to a place where happiness was easy to find.

Suddenly, we are in that forgotten neighborhood again. Running barefoot on dirt roads, scraping our knees but never stopping the game. Back then, joy was found in the smallest things—a piece of bread with jam, a kite soaring into the sky, a tiny puddle where we created imaginary worlds. Everything was simple. And maybe that’s why everything was so beautiful.

As time moved forward, we had no choice but to grow up. We folded our innocence into our pockets and stepped into a world filled with responsibilities. We stopped playing in the streets for hours. We stopped admiring the way a bird flapped its wings. We stopped laughing when the wind messed up our hair. We forgot to notice the little things. But when we were children, happiness was hidden in exactly those small details.

Back then, our biggest worry was that the game would end too soon. That we would be called inside just as the sun was setting. Now, our worries are different. We carry the weight of unsaid words, lost moments, and fading dreams. Life is not as simple as we once imagined. Growing up turned out to mean letting go of the things we once thought were everything. The big world we dreamed of suddenly became a place where our childhood felt so small.

And yet, somewhere inside us, that child still exists.

When we see an old toy, something deep within us stirs. A forgotten car in a dusty box, a worn-out doll… The moment we touch them, time folds backward. Just for a second, we are back in those days. We hear our mother calling us in for dinner, feel the warmth of our father’s hand on our shoulder, hear the echoes of our laughter as we ran through the streets. It’s all still there, locked away in a corner of our mind, waiting for us to remember.

Longing…
A longing for something that can never be reclaimed.
If we could go back, what would we do differently?
Maybe we would hug our mother a little tighter.
Maybe we would never let go of our father’s hand.
Maybe we would run just a little longer before going inside.

But no matter how much we yearn, time does not move backward. No matter how hard we close our eyes, we cannot return to those golden days. The laughter, the innocence, the effortless happiness—they have all drifted away with time.

And yet, perhaps nothing is truly lost. Those days did not disappear. They grew with us. They live within us, in the quiet corners of our hearts.

Sometimes, before falling asleep, we can still hear the echoes of an old lullaby, still smell the familiar scent of home, still feel the softness of an old blanket. Sometimes, as we walk down a street, our childhood shadow follows us, and for a fleeting moment, we lock eyes with the child we used to be.

And we ask: “Were you happy?”

That child smiles. “Yes” they whisper. “Because happiness was in the smallest things.”

And that’s when the ache sets in.

Because as we grew older, we started searching for happiness in grand things. We forgot the magic of small moments. We forgot that once upon a time, we could dream with nothing more than a handful of stars. That once, the presence of loved ones was enough to make us feel like the richest person in the world.

Now, we pause and wonder…
Did we lose the child within us along the way?
Or is that child still here, just waiting to be found again?

We close our eyes…
And deep down, we know—no matter how much we grow,
No matter how far we go,
Our childhood is always with us.

Because those days never truly left.
They are just waiting for us to remember.

And the day we learn to smile like a child again,
Perhaps that will be the day we truly learn how to live.

With Love and Respect,

Burak Anaturk.

Burak Anaturk is a professional civil engineer. He focuses on sharing lessons from his life experiences, exploring diverse perspectives, and discussing personal development topics.
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