When I was little, I was absolutely convinced that if I swallowed a watermelon seed, a watermelon would start growing in my stomach.
The adults in my life never had to work very hard to convince me, either. One serious look, one dramatic warning, and I was suddenly terrified every time I ate watermelon.
Looking back now, it’s funny how completely I believed it.
But childhood is full of beliefs like that. We trust the people around us. We fill in the gaps with imagination. The impossible doesn’t seem impossible yet.
As adults, we laugh at those childhood ideas, but I think there’s something beautiful hidden inside them.
Children believe in possibilities.
They believe wishes matter.
They believe people can change.
They believe tomorrow can be better than today.
Somewhere along the way, many of us become experts at letting go of wonder while holding tightly to worry.
Maybe growing older isn’t about losing those childlike beliefs altogether.
Maybe it’s about trading the ridiculous ones—like watermelon vines growing in our stomachs—for better ones.
Believing that kindness still matters.
Believing healing is possible.
Believing people deserve second chances.
Believing hope is worth holding onto.
Those are beliefs I’d gladly keep.
“Growing up isn’t just learning new things. It’s smiling at the things we once believed with all our hearts.”