If you have ever sat down to write a letter when you are mad or upset, you know the experience can be cathartic. It is the same when you address the letter to yourself — your younger self—- Your Childhood and we often say—‘Those were the days!’ If you hold onto things that upset you — even something you have done to yourself — it can create a cloud of negativity that follows you around for years. So let us try to write a letter to our childhood!
Dear Childhood!
I would like to take a moment to thank you, my childhood, for many sacred years. My mind is filled with fond memories from this time in my life. As I round the corner into adulthood, I realize how truly impactful you (Childhood) have been on who I am as a person. With each beautifully stressful day, I am faced with situations that reference or remind me of you. You set the foundation for who I am as a person, as other’s childhoods also do for them. I make decisions based on the things I learned in my first decade of living. As I grow older, I start to see the world in a more accurate light, or at least from a broader perspective. Certain situations from my childhood make more sense, and I am beginning to put the puzzle pieces together. I have found you hold more answers than I would have ever expected. As a child, individuals have yet to experience the pressures and stresses of the world. These are precious years of innocence and pure bliss. I have found it helpful to use you as a tool in my everyday life. What did I like to do as a child? How did I feel as a child? What was my childhood personality? Yes, we all grow, change, and transform as people, but we will always be our authentic selves, somewhere deep inside of us. The answers to these previously asked questions are more than likely who a person truly is. As we meander through college and life, it’s so important not to lose sight of our true selves. You have reminded me and kept me grounded in the person that I truly am and the person I truly want to be, and for that, I thank you. You have filled my mind with happy memories and bring a smile to my face. When I am having a hard day, I think about the serene afternoons spent playing at the park, after-school snack time and nature walks with my grandma, nights spent cuddled up with my family watching a movie or playing cards, or the sunny days spent playing outside with my sister.
The people present in my life during childhood were crucial to the person I have become. I was blessed with loving parents, a sister who helped me learn how to share and be patient (I’m still working on the last one), a dog who taught me how to take care of something and how to be unconditionally loved, a grandma who makes the small things into the big things, and a loving family who supported me and fostered my creativity. Throughout my childhood, a strong sense of self and the ability to entertain myself was instilled in me. The importance of working hard and avoiding taking things for granted were important things I learned at a young age. I learned how to be creative, to think outside the box, and to think for myself. Today, I am a very creative person, and find myself dreaming, wandering, and doing. I know I am this way partly because of you, my childhood. You inspired confidence in me and set a strong foundation for me. You gave me a voice. Because of this, I am able to continue growing every day on a sturdy foundation. My time spent with you was pure and simple. Life hadn’t gotten in the way of living. I reflect on my childhood as a time of ignorance and bliss, a time without stress, a time without pressure, a time without negativity. I didn’t compare myself to others, stress about the small things, or lack self-confidence. I didn’t worry about the future, what might happen, what might have been, or what other people might think. There was nothing at all to worry about. Childhood was a precious time that allowed me to live in the moment and bask in the beauty of life. Now that I am older, post-childhood and teenage years, life isn’t as easy as it once was. I am at a time in my life that involves a lot of stress and major life decision-making, though it is also an incredible and exciting time. I can somewhat rest at ease, because my childhood provides happy memories, a sense of peace, answers or hints to important life decisions, and a guide to what I want and where I am going. You haven’t only greatly impacted my life, but you have significantly impacted the lives of my family and friends as well. On happy days or hard days, you are always with me- Sometimes with a sad connotation but mostly with an extremely happy sensation, because I was lucky to have such a positive experience with you. I reference you often, for a variety of reasons. So I thank you for all the things you provided, taught, and fostered in me. Thank you for being an incredible and unforgettable time in my life and for continuing to walk with me every day. The person I am today was created largely in part of you. I truly cherish you and all you taught and bestowed me. You may be gone, but your memory remains and it will always be there.
( The author is a teacher at Govt High School Brakpora Anantnag. Views are his own)
[email protected]
