Here's How Awesome I am

My daughter was walking around the house, singing lightly to herself.

"I'm so proud of myself, I'm so proud of myself......!"

The cause for pride? She had figured out how to braid her doll's long hair. 

Luciya, like many children,  has always had a natural and unabashed view of herself and is still able, at 9 years old, to feel free and happy in her self expression. Her "motivational posters," as I call them, turn up all over the house. In fact, I've started posting some to my Instagram accounts with the hashtag #luciyaswordclouds because they're rad.

A few years ago (probably around the time of the Happy Hair Braiding Song), I discovered a word cloud she'd made using the letters of her name:

And there came one of those wondering moments, where childhood suddenly seems at once so far away and at the same time so deliciously appealing. 

Those of us who enjoy the arts will write to sooth our upturned souls or meander through our journals and sketch pads with thoughts of ache, or deep empathy, or the power of discovering ease and joy.

But it's rare that we'll sit down in simplicity with the singular thought of "I'm awesome."

So, I tasked myself with homework inspired by the genuine beingness of a child, and I made my own acrostic poem.

The trick here is to let go of both humility and ego. It's okay to claim badassery, or wonderfulness, or honest truths that aren't all "aw, shucks"-y. The other trick is to not over-think it. Just flow.

What would your acrostic name poem look like? Share in comments!

xx
Emily