29/10/2026
This little girl is me. 💛
I keep this photo where I can see her. A little reminder to the big me of a moment when being present wasn’t something I had to practise. I was just there, living it.
When I look at her, I think about her little brain, busy taking in the world. Big A, my amygdala, keeping watch, noticing what might need my attention. Big H, my hippocampus, helping make memories, tucking pieces of these experiences into that trusty satchel.
All the while, my brain was growing and forming connections. Neural pathways taking shape through experiences, relationships, play and discovery. I didn’t know any of this, of course. I had important little girl business to attend to.
Like whether I would finally ride my bike without training wheels. Preferably without meeting the pavement face first. 😂
That smile wasn’t asking, “Am I posing right? Did you get my good side? Am I pretty enough? Skinny enough? Acceptable enough?”
It was simply a smile captured on a Polaroid. One moment, without checking the photo and requesting another 27 attempts.
A photograph can’t tell the whole story of a childhood. But this one holds a moment I treasure. Imagination, family, friendships and a little girl who was gathering experiences that would become part of the woman I am today.
Sometimes I look at her and think about how easily we start measuring ourselves against all those “enoughs”.
Perhaps you recognise those questions too. They might show up when someone takes your photo, when you speak up, set a boundary or wonder whether you have done enough for everyone else.
And perhaps being carefree wasn’t something you had much opportunity to experience. Looking back at childhood doesn’t bring warmth for everyone. There is room for that here too. You don’t need a happy photograph to deserve gentleness towards the younger you, or the person you are now.
In counselling, we can make space to be curious about those “enoughs”.
Where did we learn them? Whose expectations are we still trying to meet? What might we say to that younger version of ourselves before asking them to change a single thing?
