“You have childlike energy.” she said to me.

I was silent. I knew that she didn’t intend this to be a compliment .

“There is an innocence about you” she went on.

I met her with silence but I was smiling on the other end of the phone.

“It is cute” she said with a mocking tone that was palpable.

“Thank you!” I said back.

I know that my response wasn’t what she was expecting. She was intending her statement to be negative. The thing is, I worked hard to carry this energy. I worked hard to heal the wounds that kept me from accessing my inner child. I worked hard to meet my days with innocence and excitement. I worked hard to be whole enough that I didn’t need to walk around angry and bitter at the world. I worked hard to view the world with all of its potential. I worked hard to know in my core that I could do and be anything. I worked hard to see my inner child. I worked hard to embrace my inner child. I worked hard to be my inner child.

So, yeah.

“Thank you” with a side dish of “go fuck yourself”.