I believe in my inner child. There is something so magical about childhood that can bring joy to even the most bitter of hearts. Many adults find the wonder, imagination, and innocence in a child almost incomprehensible. I believe that my inner child is my true self. Children exemplify complete disregard of racial, social, and economic prejudices because of t heir total innocence. They also know how to put their trust in someone who cares about them because sometimes it is the only way to survive.
I believe in childlike faith. I believe there is no way for me to know everything there is to learn in this world, but I can do my best to try to understand and appreciate it. As it says in the song, “My Grown-up Christmas List,” I wonder, “Maybe only in our blind belief may we ever find the truth,” and also in “The Heart of the Matter” by India Arie, I’ve found that “the more I know, the less I understand.” For me, childlike faith is trusting what I feel inside, but knowing that I still have way more to learn. A child has absolutely no clear understanding of time and space, much the same way the human race still has no clear understanding of the universe or even its tiniest particles. Telling a small child that he only has to wait “ten minutes” to play outside or that he is “200 feet” away from the playground is not going to register in his mind because he has no comprehension of these man-made ideas. I feel this same way about life; I never know where I’m going to end up or when I’m going to get there. I just have to trust that as a child of God, I will end up somewhere worthwhile.
I believe in child’s play. The imagination and curiosity in playing demonstrates amazing new ways to view the world. I used to spend hours each day “exploring the wilderness” and pretending to be a pilgrim travelling westward toward a new life, all while staying in my own yard. This inquisitiveness in human nature leads me to believe that there is no such thing as an adult. Every child plays differently according to the way he or she thinks. When I was younger, I always wanted to play around other people and feed off their energy, and I loved to play outside. I imagined myself as free, beautiful, powerful, graceful, and appreciated. These dreams developed into the essence of who I am today. At age fifteen, I still find myself momentarily regaining these childlike pleasures in even the smallest of things. I never want to lose them in all the ruckus of the world.
I believe that my very basic happiness and my very basic fear as a child are a reflection of the true person that I am today. I believe that I always need to keep my eyes open and wondering like a child, so that I may take in the world and inspire my curiosity even more. I believe that life is much more basic than most adults take it to be and that I can understand more by learning that I cannot know everything. I believe in childhood and that I will never part from it.