03/09/2026
🌟 These are challenging times to be (and love) our most authentic selves, but I want to be courageous enough to do so anyway.
Leaving this affirmation here as a reminder to myself and anyone else who needs it …
“How I’m proud to be me
and to claim my right
to take up space.
I deserve to be seen.
To be noticed.
To be heard.
To be treated like a human.
I starfish.
There’s plenty of room
for
each
and
every
one of us
in the world.”
~Starfish, Lisa Fipps
A book written for middle schoolers (and the middle schooler in all of us) about trying to figure out the rules and then throwing them out, loving every part of ourselves, finding chosen family, taking up space, and damn good therapy.
I wanted to call this book a “gut-punch.” I suppose it was, but it was also the opposite. The free verse format made for absolute magic, letting each word take up space and hit your heart in the exact, unique, big, and beautiful way that Ellie was learning to do.
I just had to share how glad I am that this book exists. Highly recommend for the little ones in your life, but it is truly a one-size-fits-all read. ♥️
