They say time heals all wounds but some wounds never truly fade. Childhood trauma, especially, stays with us like a scar beneath the skin. You may not see it every day, but when your fingers trace its rough surface, the memories return. The pain reminds you of everything you once endured.
Pain is universal. No one’s suffering is greater or lesser than another’s; we all carry our own battles and heartbreaks. When that pain resurfaces, we often find ourselves grieving for who we once were. We cry not just for the moment, but for the child inside us who had to withstand more than they deserved. In many ways, self-love is born from these very battles, a promise we make to ourselves that we will never allow that suffering again.
Our inner child still weeps at times, longing to be seen, comforted, and protected. We shelter that inner child desperately, believing that if we hold them close enough, we can shield them from another heartbreak or another lasting scar. Healing becomes an act of love, a refusal to let the past dictate our future.
This is why the words spoken to children matter so deeply. A careless sentence can take root like a parasite in their hearts, shaping their self-worth for years to come. The smallest wounds can become lifelong burdens.
And today, when we look at the children of Palestine who are displaced, orphaned, and terrified, we don’t just see the suffering of the present. We see the trauma that will stay with them for decades. Even when ceasefires begin, the trauma doesn’t end. It lives on in silent ways, shaping their identities, their choices, and their ability to love and trust.
That is the cruel truth: childhood trauma doesn’t stop when the violence stops. It lingers, resurfaces, transforms, becoming part of the person they grow up to be.
This is why it is so powerful and so necessary to see happy children. A happy childhood is a right, not a privilege. It shouldn’t depend on where a child is born, whether in comfort or conflict, in poverty or abundance. Every child deserves joy, safety, and the freedom to simply be a child.
Because in the end, how we treat the children of today shapes the adults of tomorrow.
