Dear Peter Pan,

Seeing as how you were the apple of my eye as a kid, I thought I would love revisiting you. Especially now that I'm going to have a kid of my own, I couldn't wait to introduce him or her to you and share the joy of Peter Pan.

But I realized something I never realized as a kid... You're kind of conceded. And a bit selfish. Maybe I just didn't want to see it when I was young, or maybe I couldn't. But as an adult--dare I say it, as a grown up--I can't help but think how unattractive you are.

I mean, I understand not wanting to grow up, I guess. Stay young forever, no responsibilities, no worries. But you miss out on so much when you don't grow up. Love, the freedom to really make your own choice, the joy of having children. It seems like an awful big sacrifice to make. Maybe it's just me, but I wouldn't want to miss out on the ladder. Sure there's a lot more responsibility, but isn't it worth it?

I always thought the idea of staying young was a great one--after all, you taught it to me. But as I sit here and feel my baby kick I realize you're well without. Life is so much more than having no responsibilities. In fact, I think, it's those responsibilities that make life joyous, make life worth it. If we let fear hold us back we're going to miss out on the most amazing parts of life. We won't have that opportunity to grow, expand, learn. We'll be stuck chasing Captain Hook for the rest of our lives.

Maybe I'm alone in my feeling of wanting to grow up; or maybe I never really was a kid. But it just seems like staying young forever is not worth it. I get wanting to beat Hook, but isn't there a point when we just have to realize there's more than just that one ambition? There's more than just one goal. Can't we have more than that one victory? Not if we don't try.

You can face Hook time after time; how can you not face growing up? I think there's more there than just wanting to have fun; I hope you'll let me learn more.

Because even though I disagree with you, I do appreciate your free spirit and your "aliveness." And that is something I want my kids to experience. Just for a little while at least. I want them to experience the fun; I want them to fight Hook; I want them to experience all the joys of childhood. But I also want them to experience all of life, not miss out on half of it. Because like I said, the older you get, the more rewarding life is. And I think it's just now, just as I write this--as I revist you--that I realize that. That I realize growing up is so worth it. It's the most scary, most challanging, most rewarding thing ever. And surely someone who's fought Captain Hook can realize that. Right?

Growingly Yours,
NicholleLee