Dressing Up... Finding the Child Within

This morning, we celebrated Purim in a small organization I manage. I decided to dress up—just something small—but the moment I put on the costume, I felt connected to the little girl within me. To the fun childhood experiences I thought were behind me.

What is it about costumes?

We are so busy all day long with our relationships with others—how we want them to see us, how we present ourselves to the world. Our true selves are often hidden beneath many layers of fear of judgment. We are afraid of others' gaze, their responses, and the comments they might give. On social media, we often encounter unflattering comments, and then we hesitate whether or not to post something. Sometimes, all we need is to stop thinking and just act freely.

And how does all this relate to relocation?

During migration, we lose a lot of our identity. We need to create new groups of identification for ourselves, to find our place in new groups. We constantly ask ourselves how we want others to see us. What do we want to bring to these new relationships so that they get to know us as we really are?

In this sense, we sometimes dress up.

Something personal:

I am often seen as a very serious woman—serious in learning, thinking, and at work. The reason I leave myself teaching hours is that teaching brings me back to a place of abstract thinking. No pretensions. Laughing wholeheartedly with the kids, singing without thinking about what others will say, dressing up, dancing, creating.

Working with young children allows me to step out of logical thinking and give space to another kind of thinking, the thinking of a child. I receive the simplest criticism from them without getting offended. They can say, "You're annoying," and I accept their words with self-compassion.

I also receive compliments from them, and I know they are genuine and true. For example, on Purim, the children received gift baskets. Two candies were left, and they asked, "Who are these for?" I answered, "Do I get some too?" They replied, "You deserve much more!" – kids aged 6-7... compliments that come from the heart.

A costume can cover us and allow us to be who we are. For a moment, we forget about our roles, maybe even act a little silly. It simply allows us to be "ourselves" in a place where sometimes our sense of self is shaken.

If you also dressed up, share with us!

Dr. Efrat Tzadik

Expert in Immigration, Integration, and Identity

Certified Trauma Coach, CBT, Time Management