Don’t Grow Up – It’s a Trap  (Don’t Grow Up – It’s a Trap)

This line — “Don’t grow up, it’s a trap” — came from a dark time in my life. It wasn’t meant to be cheeky or funny. It was whispered by the boy inside me — my alter ego — during the hardest moment I’ve ever faced.

During and after my stroke, I had to relearn everything. Talking. Walking. Even being me again. I was broken, scared, and often silent. But then something unexpected happened: the little boy inside me started speaking. He reminded me who I used to be — curious, playful, fearless. He told me things I needed to hear, things no one else could say.

He said, “Don’t grow up. It’s a trap.”

At first, I didn’t understand. But I know now: he was telling me not to lose myself in fear, pain, or expectations. Not to bury the part of me that still dreamed and believed. That boy saved me. He taught me how to begin again — by letting go, by finding joy in small steps, by remembering that healing isn’t just physical… it’s emotional, too.

He reminded me of the one who believes in magic.

The one who laughs from the belly.

The one who scribbles across pages just because it feels good — even when no one understood me.

The one who still asks, “why not?”

Growing up isn’t about losing your spark. It’s about carrying your light into the dark — even if you have to crawl with it at first.

So no, this isn’t just a quote. It’s a reminder. That boy still walks with me.

And he still whispers, whenever I forget:

“Stay soft. Stay wild. Stay you.”