It’s never too late to have a childhood: healing your inner child.

Being playful in the Bosnian Mountains

A week has gone by already and I’m beyond thrilled to be in Croatia, where my soul feels at peace. We had a mini-family reunion in Bosnia Herzegovina with dad’s side of the family. As a child, I loved visiting my cousins and we spent time re-calling fun memories together. We laughed until we cried.

It felt nice to reminisce good childhood memories. In my line of work, I often spend time listening to traumatic memories of abuse, neglect, violation. It made me pause to reflect on the importance of childhood. It’s the foundation for adulthood.

A solid, nurturing childhood is like the roots of a tree. When those roots are strong, the tree can stand tall, weathering the storms of life. But what if those roots weren’t as strong as they could have been? What if, like so many, your childhood was marked by pain, instability, or a lack of love and support? The good news is that it’s never too late to give yourself the childhood you deserved.

This is where inner child work becomes so powerful. By reconnecting with that younger version of yourself—the child within who may still be carrying wounds from the past—you can begin to heal those old hurts. It’s about acknowledging the pain, offering yourself the compassion you may not have received back then, and nurturing the parts of you that need it most.

In a way, it’s like revisiting those joyful moments I’ve been experiencing here in Croatia—moments of laughter, love, and connection. Through inner child work, you can create new memories and experiences that fill the gaps left by your past. You can rewrite the narrative, giving yourself permission to play, to feel safe, and to be loved.

This healing process is vital because the wounds of childhood don’t just disappear with time. They linger, shaping our self-perception, our relationships, and our sense of what’s possible in life. But by doing the work to heal and nurture our inner child, we can transform those old patterns. We can build a stronger foundation for our adult selves, rooted in self-love, understanding, and resilience.

So, as I continue to reconnect with my roots here in Croatia, I’m reminded that we all have the power to reconnect with our own inner child. It’s never too late to embrace that part of ourselves, to offer it the love and care it needs, and to create the childhood we always deserved—one that nurtures us from within and allows us to thrive in the present.

As you reflect on your own childhood, I invite you to ask yourself: What did your inner child need most that you can offer yourself now? Whether it’s more play, more love, or simply permission to be yourself, how can you start nurturing that part of you today? Let me know-I love hearing from you!

To Powerful,Positive Change…Cheers!

Adela