Old Wounds
The child within me has been through a lot. Just like yours. We all have sufferings in life from childhood that carry over into our adult lives. The wounds from our younger days sting a little more when they show up nowadays. Sometimes they come out of nowhere, other times we know we’re going to get activated by someone or something before we’re around them or in certain environments.
From childhood, I was labeled a “sensitive” person. As I grew up, I thought a lot of the things I felt from the past were valid. I believed they were a part of me and absolute truths. Before I started my Healing Journey, I was completely oblivious to patterns about my behaviors and habits. Even still, I knew there was something to be said by my body’s visceral response to certain language, people, and environments.
At some point in my journey I came across Inner Child Healing. It instantly piqued my interest. I thought about how most of my childhood and teenage memories in regards to social interactions, communication, and being myself would leave me feeling lost, invisible, or insecure. I didn’t know it, but that phrase “Inner Child” planted a thought seed that would eventually grow into a garden.
In 2017 I was diagnosed with DCIS, which is stage 0 breast cancer at 28 years old. The adult version of me began to slip away the further and further I went through that physiological process. By the time I made the decision to have a mastectomy, I was a vulnerable pre-teen emotionally. Nothing made sense. No one could understand. This isn’t fair. My life was over. (Don’t you remember being 13?) After the surgery I had an emotional void. It left me, the most sensitive person I knew, unable to feel anything around or within me outside of fear and anger.
During my reclusive healing process, I had to watch other women my age in swimsuits, talk about breastfeeding, and showing off their cute summer bodies. All the feelings I felt growing up from childhood, puberty, and being a late bloomer came rushing back. Every insecurity I felt as a young girl was there every time I looked at another woman.
It was a long and hard recovery, emotionally more than physically. It took a lot of prayer, faith, and family to get back to a place where I was functional again. That time in my life brought up so much emotionally, it took years for me to get to the bottom of it.
Through teaching kids, I realized why Inner Child Work work means so much to me. My biggest trauma had my wounded Inner Child in a chokehold. There was no way out of that pain except by going through it. It’s been years, but through mindful practices like journaling, I can be gentle with my younger self when she needs it and remind her that she is beautiful and resilient. I’m passionate about Inner Child Healing and empowering others to start or stay on their Healing Journey.
If you’re interested in finding out more about what Inner Child means and connecting with your Inner Child, click here for my next workshop. It’s not an easy road, and it will be more difficult for some than others, but I believe it’s worth it.
Having the ability to recognize when your wounded Inner Child is coming out is one of the most powerful tools to have. This helps us in our relationships, and most importantly our self-worth and self-love. Our younger selves need this love and attention because they are still inside of us. When you feel ready, know that your Inner Child is ready and waiting for you too.