Unpopular opinion: Our inner child doesn’t grow up, we unconsciously ground them when we get older.
Emgo316 once said: “You don’t stop playing because you grow old, you grow old because you stop playing.”
When he turned 30, my oldest brother complained that no one gave him toys anymore. And so I started giving him, and my other older brother, and my parents, toys for birthdays. Soon, we were all doing it.
I encouraged my mother to dig my brothers’ teddy bears out of the attic (I never gave mine up; it went to college with me). When each turned 50, she gave them their old teddy bear. I have pictures of them with huge smiles on their faces, holding their old teddy bears.
When my father turned 70, my mom and I gave him a “vintage” (anniversary edition) Slinky, a miniature Radio Flyer red wagon, a bag of marbles, Silly Putty, and a couple of balsa wood airplane kits, and he loved them.
You are never too old to play. If for some reason you stopped, you can start again. If you never did, you can start now. Go! Have fun! Do what makes you happy!
I’m 56 and I still have my very first teddy bear. My grandfather bought it when my parents told him he was going to be a grandfather. It’s worn, flat, and the eyes have been replaced with buttons, but it’s mine. These days it’s tucked away, safe in my nightstand, but once in a while, for no conscious reason, I pull it out for a quick hug.