💜 Meet Winston

"Oh, hello. Don't mind me. I was looking for somewhere comfortable and this seemed perfect. There's room for you too, you know. We don't have to make ourselves smaller."

🌊 A Few Little Facts About Me

📏 From Nose to Tail
10 inches

↔️ From Fin to Fin
9 inches

⚖️ As Light As...
3.1 ounces... about as much as a few pebbles found on my rock.

🌊 A Little About Me

💜 Favorite Color
Deep Plum Purple

🥬 Favorite Snack
Fresh leafy greens. A substantial helping, please. Winston did not come all this way for a garnish.

☀️ Favorite Hobby
Floating exactly where I want to float and watching everyone else eventually decide to float there too.

🏝️ Favorite Game
Claim the Sunny Spot.
There aren't really any rules. I find the sunny spot. I occupy it. I win.

😊 I Smile When...
Someone stops apologizing for taking up room they were already allowed to have.

✨ I'm Really Good At...
Walking—or, technically, swimming—into somewhere new without assuming I need permission to belong there.

🌎 My Biggest Dream
For everyone to know what it feels like to enter a room without wondering whether they deserve to be in it.

💜 My Biggest Fear
That someone will spend their whole life making themselves smaller because they're worried their presence might be too much.

🤗 Something You Should Know About Me
Confidence doesn't mean I think I'm more important than you. It means I finally stopped believing I'm less important.

💜 A Little From My Heart

"I've noticed something people do sometimes.

They apologize for themselves.

Sorry I'm taking up your time.

Sorry I asked.

Sorry I'm sitting here.

Sorry I talked too much.

Sorry I need something.

Sorry.

Sorry.

Sorry.

And sometimes I wonder...

When did we decide simply existing required so many apologies?

I like taking up space.

I'm a manatee. Taking up space is something of a specialty.

But that doesn't mean I need all of it.

If you're beside me, I'll move over.

There's room for both of us.

That's what I've learned about confidence.

It isn't walking into a room believing everyone else should move.

It's walking into a room knowing you don't have to disappear either.

You don't have to make yourself smaller so someone else can feel bigger.

You don't have to whisper every good thing you know about yourself.

You don't have to apologize for having an idea, needing help, asking a question, or wanting a seat at the table.

You can be kind and still take up space.

You can make room for other people without giving away all of yours.

And you can walk into somewhere new without knowing exactly where you fit yet.

Sometimes you just have to choose a spot.

Settle in.

And trust that you were allowed to be there all along."

With love,

Winston 💜

💜 Winston's Heart Message

"You don't have to make yourself smaller to make room for someone else."