Chapter 14Grounded Innocence

People love quoting: “When I became an adult, I put away childish things.”

They use it like a hammer—like adulthood requires emotional amputation.

But here’s the correction: putting away childish things doesn’t mean abandoning imagination. It means releasing the ignorance of youth—not the wonder.

The childish things worth letting go are the ones that poison you: the fear that being different makes you wrong, the belief that sensitivity is weakness, the illusion that joy must be earned.

But the toys? The totems? The symbols that remind you who you were before the world got heavy?

You keep those.

Because innocence isn’t naivety. It’s grounding. It’s what keeps you from becoming bitter. It’s what allows you to feel, connect, and remember what matters. Rooted innocence means you can handle pressure without losing your play. You can speak truth without losing your wonder. You can grow up without growing cold.

And I’ve seen how this kind of innocence strengthens relationships too—how sharing “toy joy” breaks the ice, builds bonds, and reminds families that play isn’t just for kids… it’s for humans.

So if you feel that spark when you see a figure, don’t defend it. Don’t explain it. Honor it. That joy is your indicator that something inside you is still alive and listening.

That isn’t childish.

That’s courageous.

Now, Go Play!