“Like a bright bloom growing through concrete, Jesse reminds us joy is a form of resilience.”
I met Jesse at Adult Recess: Yard Games for the Inner Child—a radiant celebration of play, joy, and connection at Riverside Park. While that’s where our story began, it was dancing that truly revealed Jesse’s spark. We clicked immediately, trading Charleston moves while getting ready and finding rhythm in shared expression. He’s someone who moves feels like a love language.
Though Jesse once hesitated to wear yellow—thinking it washed him out—Daffodil revealed something different: he lit up the world around him. His energy was warm, playful, magnetic. As we roamed through Proven Trails and downtown Grand Rapids with his ukulele in hand and his heart wide open, strangers smiled back like sunflowers toward the sun. We paused to greet every dog along the way.
Daffodil isn’t just a color—it’s a frequency Jesse lives in. As the youngest of ten, with lived experiences across Egypt, Germany, and Nicaragua, he radiates a grounded joy that often follows grief. He’s spent the last year steeped in healing and presence, offering massage and presence wherever he goes.
This session was full of small miracles—like chasing golden light under bridges, laughter that echoed off bricks, and the undeniable truth that Jesse is what makes yellow glow.
Symbolism
Daffodil is the color of radiant reawakening. It symbolizes joy without pressure, confidence without ego. It’s the bloom after the thaw, the smile after grief, the reminder that you were always worthy of warmth. This yellow speaks of clarity, wonder, and childlike renewal.
Psychology
Psychologically, Daffodil soothes those who’ve felt dimmed—by doubt, by shame, by years of quiet survival. It encourages play, possibility, and presence. This color reaffirms that joy is not frivolous; it is foundational.
Energy
Energetically, Daffodil aligns with the solar plexus and heart chakras, infusing the body with gentle courage and warm self-trust. It calls in laughter, open-heartedness, and creative spontaneity.
Somatics
Somatically, Daffodil feels like a soft inhale after a good cry—or the warmth of sun on skin after days of gray. It coaxes movement, lightness, and the urge to dance for no reason. It doesn’t push—it invites.
