Is it normal to love my past self like another person?

I have to say, I love myself. I'm not vain or conceited, but I feel like I'm growing into the person that I wanted to be as a kid. Whether or not if I reach that point, I love that I'm at least on that path. But I wonder if it's normal that I'm grateful to my past self for setting these goals. That I love that person from the past. I thinks it's really weird, especially when I look at a picture of myself from my childhood. Like I feel like that kid and I are the best of friends and how I wish I could know what he thinks about me. I just want to hang out with him. Is that normal?