Growing Up Without Growing Cold

Dear Reader,

Today I had the desire to be profound and offer a meaningful message. Yet as I contemplated the direction, there came a still, small voice inviting me to pause… and to listen to a song from Peter Pan:
“I Won’t Grow Up.”

At first, it seemed almost out of place. After all, life is serious. Recovery is serious. Scripture calls us to grow, to change, and to take responsibility.

But as I listened more closely, something shifted within me.

I realized there must be a balance.

A balance between:

• the working of the Twelve Steps,
• the expectations found in scripture,
• and the joy and happiness our Heavenly Father desires for each of us.

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In recovery, We are taught that growth requires willingness—
a willingness to change, to make amends, and to live differently.

Scripture teaches the same:

“Be ye therefore perfect…” (Matthew 5:48)

And yet, in the very same gospel, we are also told:

“Except ye be converted, and become as little children…” (Matthew 18:3)

So which is it? Grow up… or remain childlike?

The answer, I believe, is both.

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To grow in responsibility…
but not lose the lightness of the soul.

To become accountable…
but not become hardened.

To live with purpose…
but still allow room for joy.

To "climb a tree and  be of  service."

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There was a time in my life when I confused growing up with becoming serious, guarded, and heavy. But that was not growth—that was fear.

True growth, as I experience it today, looks different:

• Being a little kinder
• A little slower to anger
• A little more willing to help others

And strangely enough, as I become more willing… I also become more alive.

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The message of that simple song is not to avoid life’s responsibilities.
It is to remind us not to lose something sacred along the way.

Not to lose:

• our laughter
• our sense of wonder
• our ability to feel joy in small things

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So today, Let us try to walk a middle path.

To grow where we must…
and to remain light where we can.

To take responsibility for our life…
while remembering that God never intended for life to lose its joy.

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Perhaps Neverland is not a place we escape to…

Perhaps it is something we carry within us—
a reminder that even as we grow, we are still children of God.

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And in that balance, We find something unexpected:

Not just growth…
but peace.