The general consensus is that no one wants to grow up. We should revel in our youth before we get to the dreaded real world and are forced to turn into grumpy, old Captain Hooks. Until recently, I bought in to all of it. It’s become clear, now, that Peter was missing some information.

I’ve seen this picture around, and others like it, pretty often. I found them relatable because I always saw it Peter Pan’s way. I was, and still kind of am, Pan’s biggest fan. I’d always been terrified of that inevitable march of time. Then, suddenly, I saw things in a new light. I changed my attitude, partly because I realized there was no use fearing the inevitable, and mostly because -- after taking a big step back -- I started to see the holes in Peter’s logic.

It’s not a one way street. Yes, I will grow older and acquire more and more responsibilities, but that doesn’t mean the things I loved as a child have to be forgotten. I can still set aside time to watch old Disney movies or eat too much dessert. As Madeline L’Engle once said, “because I was once a child, I am always a child.” I was once a four year-old whose dream was to eat all the cheese in the fridge, and sometimes I’m still that little girl. The only difference is now I’m also the young woman who has to buy the cheese to put in the fridge.

It doesn’t have to get worse. In fact, if you keep an open mind things can get better as you get older. Yes, I now have to face bills, deadlines, and making my own phone calls, and sometimes that can feel like a ticking crocodile following me around. But who can also eat all the leftover cookie dough from the cookies she decided to make at one in the morning? This girl, right here, because the law decided she was a responsible adult who could make those decisions.

It’s all about moderation. I can eat an entire bowl of cookie dough at 1 a.m., but I better be able to get myself together for my 8 a.m. class. Growing older doesn’t mean leaving all the fun things in life behind you, it just means knowing when to stop. In the book, Peter flies the Darlings around until they pass out and almost crash. It’s not that he’s evil, he just doesn’t know any better. Growing up just means knowing better. Most of the time, I know better and I don’t see that as a bad thing.

I still love Peter Pan, and there will always be a part of me who sides with him. If he showed up in my window and offered me a trip to Neverland I can’t say I wouldn’t go, but I couldn’t promise to never come back, either. However, I guess growing up means realizing there is a time and place to be the little girl who believes in Peter Pan. Growing up means realizing that I can still love Peter Pan and know that he’s wrong. So if I haven’t fully convinced you -- good. That little kid you once were is still in there and they deserve to still believe in fairies.