I met Boppi in December 2019 at a white elephant party. I didn’t know her name. All I knew was that there was a booty-shaking llama toy, and I had to have it. My niece needed to experience this but so did I. Boppi shakes her booty and shakes her head at the same time to several original songs. She’s talented like Shakira and soft and cuddly like your favorite teddy bear.

I was robbed from taking Boppi home from the department white elephant party but that didn’t stop me from immediately reserving a Boppi at the local Target. WINNING.

Courtney and Kelly Grace (KG) came to visit, and the next day, Kelly arrived. That’s the day we also welcomed Boppi home.

Love at first sight

We immediately got Boppi out of the box. At first, Kelly Grace, who was an active 18-month-old at the time, was not sure of Boppi. She was afraid of this dancing animal. It scared her. She wasn’t like her other toys.

The rest of us embraced Boppi. We petted her soft, bright pink hair. We cheered her on while she danced and did her thing.

“Go, Boppi, Go!” we shouted.

It only took 30 minutes for KG to warm up to her new llama friend. In two hours, she was figuring out how Boppi worked and where to push the button to start the dance party.

Four hours later she was leading the chants and directing us like a choir director, “Go, Boppi, Go!” She was living her best life leading her mom, grandmother and aunts in a team chant for our favorite little llama.

The next day, she woke up from her pack-in-play, and the first words she said? BOPPI. She was a convert.

At one point, I was worried Boppi was tired so I hid her. Everyone needs rest and so does Boppi. Well KG wasn’t having it. She lost her llama-loving mind. So, I let her play with Boppi again.

Love others and love what makes them unique

This whole, Boppi meets KG experience taught me that we all need to be more accepting of everyone’s quirks and talents and teach our little ones to love others who may be different too. It was incredible to see KG go from being scared to accepting to cheering on Boppi.

This type of love and acceptance can change the world.

Be like Boppi

As I look back on my life, I realize there were times when I was much more confident to be myself and let my freak flag fly. Friends and I would sing annoying songs at the middle school lunch table. I danced my way to student body president with an old school boombox, promising a pack of gum to anyone who voted for me. (Looking back, this was probably a weird bribe to offer.)

Or when I belted Christina Aguilera’s Genie in bottle at Camp Minikani. (Lip singing, people. God has unfortunately not blessed me with the gift of song. I’m still waiting, Lord.) Or when our entire cabin danced to Madonna’s like a virgin. We felt the music in our veins.

All of this to say, I aim to be more like Boppi and be the weird, fun and funky woman God made me to be. And encourage others to do the same. Life is too short not to shake what your momma gave you and encourage others to do the same.

Go, Boppi, Go!

Behold, the Booty-shakin llama in Target.

Go, YOU, Go!