A Life Defined by Initial Letters
In response to Dancing Elephants prompt 16 of 52
J is for Joyful, the light from within
E is Expressive, to share is to win
N is for Nurture, grow strong and release
N is for Nesting, safe haven of peace
I is Integrity, be true and stand tall
F is for Freedom, to fly or to fall
E is Encourage, support from the heart
R is Resolve, to end what I start
J is for Joyful, the light from within
My husband was watching the latest season of Indian Matchmaking, and the couple were playing a game, where they had to pick an adjective for themselves starting with the same first letter as the first letter of their name. We tried it, as well. Having just finished my article on Two Paths to Joy, joyfulness was very much on my mind. That quiet sense that life is good, I am good, and whatever I’m doing is good is definitely one of my defining traits.
E is Expressive, to share is to win
Since this is a response to a writing exercise, it’s only natural that my thoughts are on self-expression. But it’s not the self-involved self-expression of posting my entire life on social media to prove I exist. It’s based on sharing — my life, my struggles, my wins — with others, to hopefully help and inspire them in their lives.
N is for Nurture, grow strong and release
I have a strong nurturing streak. I love to mentor others and care for members of my family (including the furry ones). But it’s not a limitless well of service and support. My ideal is to help people (and animals) get to the point where they are able to function on their own, at a higher level than when we started.
N is for Nesting, safe haven of peace
I nest. I surround myself with things that give comfort and solace. Fortunately, I am also a big believer in Feng Shui and in giving bugs no place to hide, or my house would quickly look like an episode of Hoarders. Clutter gives stress, not comfort. Minimal furniture with clean surfaces quiets the mind and allows relaxation.
I is Integrity, be true and stand tall
It’s not enough to talk the talk. You have to walk the walk. Integrity is one of my core principles. (Which is why I used the word, even though it pushed the meter, with those two unstressed syllables following the stressed syllable.) I try to speak only the truth and to behave in accord with my beliefs. It’s not always easy, and it’s certainly not always convenient. Fortunately, I also know that it’s okay to be silent. People rarely need to hear the entire truth, just the bit that is helpful at the moment.
F is for Freedom, to fly or to fail
I’m fortunate that I’ve reached the stage in my life where I don’t have to report to a boss or limit my activities to a certain designated portion of “free time”. I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. I can try things that might not succeed since I’m not depending on them to support me. It’s extremely liberating.
E is Encourage, support from the heart
This goes along with my nurturing nature. I want to help everyone around me be the best version of themselves that they can be. I celebrate their wins, and I do what I can to position them for success. Most importantly, I think, is that I believe in them. I hold space for who I know they can be, and more often than not, that’s enough to let them grow into that person.
R is Resolve, to end what I start
This one wasn’t quite right. I’d have preferred “reliable”, in that, if I say I will do something, I absolutely will do it, unless it becomes a physical impossibility. Unfortunately, that wouldn’t work with the meter and rhythm I’d established for the poem (that final syllable is stressed), and having established it, I didn’t want to break it. Perhaps I should have used “rigid” or “regimented”? 😉
There are so many other adjectives I could have chosen for myself, that had the poor grace to start with letters other than the ones in my name. But these are a good selection of words that inspire me.
They’re just not the limit of what inspires me.
You can also buy me a Ko-fi. ☕️
This is a response to the prompt by Sharing Randomly:
I loved reading over the responses to this prompt, and how everyone went in a slightly different direction, even with the highly structured requirement of a poem where the first letter of each line spelled out your name.
Akemi Sagawa had the brilliant idea of comparing an earlier version of herself to a later version, and which words best described each.
Melissa Gray highlighted self-reflection, to talk about why she chose each of the words she did. I borrowed that idea for my version.
Dr. Preeti Singh tied both the meaning of her name and the words corresponding to the initials of her name together.
Read all of my responses (so far) to the Dancing Elephants Press 52 weekly writing prompts:
