“I am convinced that most people do not grow up…We marry and dare to have children and call that growing up.I think what we do is mostly grow old. We carry accumulation of years in our bodies, and on our faces, but generally our real selves, the children inside, are innocent and shy as magnolias.”
— Maya Angelou, Letter to My Daughter
Signing a lease, getting married, or having babies doesn’t magically turn you into a flawless adult. Angelou pulls back the curtain on a scary but comforting truth: most of us are just aging on the outside while carrying a vulnerable, sometimes startled kid around on the inside.True maturity isn’t a checklist of societal milestones; it’s a lifelong process of keeping that inner innocence alive.
