The Katelyn Collective

Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about my inner child, not as a trendy self help moment, but as something more intimate and grounding. I’m realizing how important it is to reconnect with that younger version of myself, the one I didn’t even realize I had abandoned.

For most of my life, my childhood has felt like a collection of half-memories. Not quite gone, but not fully present either. I used to joke that I just had a bad memory, or that I “grew up too fast.” But the truth is, for a long time, I wasn’t connected to my younger self at all.

It’s like I lived my life running forward, never looking back long enough to notice that little girl trailing behind me, trying to keep up.

As an adult, I can finally admit it:
I disassociated from my childhood so much that I don’t remember large pieces of it.
Not because I wanted to forget, but because my mind did what it needed to do to protect me, distract me, help me survive. I didn’t understand that then. Now I see it more clearly: it’s hard to hold onto memories from a time when you didn’t always feel safe, supported, or fully seen.

But here’s the beautiful part…
Somewhere along the way, without even meaning to, I started rediscovering her. The girl I forgot I was.

And honestly? It feels like meeting a stranger and recognizing them at the same time.

Little Signs of Her Returning

It’s in the tiny things.
The way I gravitate toward certain colors, Painting or music that I loved as a kid.
The way I catch myself wanting to move slower, to play more, to be softer with myself.
The random moments when I feel a little spark of excitement for no reason.
The comfort I find in things I used to love but forgot about.

I didn’t realize these were pieces of my inner child knocking on the door, asking to come home.

Learning to Make Space for Her

Reconnecting with her hasn’t been some dramatic, emotional “healing journey.” It’s been small, quiet moments of self awareness. It’s letting myself rest when I’m tired instead of pushing through. It’s choosing activities that make me happy rather than just productive. It’s understanding that I don’t have to be so guarded or serious all the time.

I’m learning that the adult version of me is allowed to give the younger version of me the things she didn’t get back then, patience, compassion, gentleness, curiosity, and love without conditions.

The Truth About Healing Your Inner Child

People talk about “inner child work” like it’s a checklist or a ritual, but for me, it’s more like this ongoing conversation with myself. It’s asking:
    •    What did she need?
    •    What scared her?
    •    What excited her?
    •    What made her feel small?
    •    What would make her feel safe now?

And the more I listen, the more I realize healing isn’t just about fixing old wounds.
It’s about reclaiming the parts of myself I stopped believing I was allowed to keep.

Letting My Inner Child Feel Safe Again

For the first time, I’m letting that younger version of me exist without shame or fear. I’m letting her be curious. Letting her be emotional. Letting her rest. Letting her dream again without immediately shutting those dreams down with practicality or doubt.

I’m becoming the adult she needed.

And in doing that, I’m becoming the version of myself I needed too.

A New Kind of Growth

Growing up doesn’t mean losing touch with the kid you used to be. It means holding both versions of yourself at the same time. The child who survived and the adult who is finally safe.

This chapter of my life feels like coming home to myself.
Like I’m finally slowing down enough to hear her voice.
Like I’m rediscovering softness after years of hustling, rushing, overthinking, surviving, and being in constant “go mode.”

I’m realizing that honoring my inner child is not about reliving the past. It’s about giving future me a chance to feel more whole.

If You’re Reading This…

Maybe you feel this, too.
Maybe you also feel disconnected from who you once were.
Maybe you’ve been so focused on becoming the strong, capable, self sufficient adult that you forgot you were once a tiny human who needed gentleness.

If any of this resonates with you, maybe it’s time to check in with your inner child, too.
You might be surprised how much she still has to say.

-Katelyn