“All children grow up,” reads the first line of Peter Pan, “Except one.” In a world where “Neverland” comes to exist for children, the idea of an eternal child is exciting. In the real world, where we need to grow up and adapt ourselves to adult responsibilities, the eternal child becomes somewhat of a burden. If we find ourselves reading that line and thinking “That’s me, I’m the child who doesn’t grow up” we have a lot of work to do.
Growing up has a bad reputation. Due to stories like Peter Pan we see “grown ups” as the antihero, the antithesis to all things innocent, fun, and wonderful. Growing up seems more like a death sentence or a prisoning sentence then it does something to be enjoyed. Responsibilities? Settling down? Security? Finances? None of these attachments seem pleasurable in the least. What we learn as we start to grow up is that the details of adulthood are just that- details. The rest of adulthood means having life experience, more knowledge, more confidence, and with the responsibility of the details taken care of, we actually have more freedom to play, explore, and adventure- the very makings of an epic childhood.
Is anyone ever really grown up? The answer is unequivocally: No. People are growing up all the time and most people are asking themselves “Will anyone find out I’m not really a grown up?”. We carry around with us different elements of what keeps us young and connected to our childhood while meeting most of the demands getting older has for us. Growing up isn’t easy, which is why many people avoid it as long as they can. Nobody is doing growing up perfectly, not even the people who we think have it all together.
Getting older is a natural part of life as long as we give ourselves the chance to experience it. Active addiction doesn’t guarantee us that opportunity. We might not get the chance to see what it is like to grow up or be a grown up if we are constantly putting our life on the line through drug and alcohol abuse.
Tree House Recovery of Orange County, California is a premier men’s addiction treatment facility that uses eight different modalities to help our men become the best versions of themselves they can be. We teach our men that every day of their journey is something to celebrate, and that recovery isn’t a sprint– it’s a marathon. By showing our men how to celebrate each day’s victories, we show them that self love isn’t about what we have or haven’t done. It’s about getting a little closer to where we want to be. To get started with Tree House Recovery, call us today at (503) 850-2474
