In Celtic my name means harmony and “noble stone”. My name is like the yellow from the lanterns in Tangled when Rapunzel finally sees them in the night sky. My name is simple but bright. The letters radiate light—or so I think. It's the dances I create when I’m alone, simply being happy to be alive.

My name is English, but it’s not a typical name like Ava or Maddie. Nobody in my family is named Allie. My mother and father were going to name me Anya, but it was too close to my cousin's name. They wanted me to be unique.

They got their wish.

I have never been “by the book”. I have always been a little sillier, a little brighter, a little snappier than most. My name isn’t either. Most people who are named Allie have a longer name like Allison. But no. Not me. What you see is what you get. And it has always been that way.

The brightness in my name has always been there. Ever since I was a baby. When I was just 5 years old, we went to Disney for the first time. I always wanted to be a princess. Bright, lovely and bold. Even though I am 17, I still cry at the sight of walking up to Cinderella's Castle in Disney World. The lights at Disney always gave me joy. A joy I have carried with me all my life.

This brightness comes from the joy I see in the world too. I was always taught to see the good as a child. This habit stuck. I always ended up dancing in the rain. No literally, sometimes I would go outside when it’s raining, just to dance in life's tears. I felt it on my cheeks. I felt life's tears and turned it into a happy moment. My name emits this trait of brilliance and shine, happiness that cannot be bought or destroyed.

My name is perfect. My friends say they don’t like their names, or they want to change them. But not me. It allows me to be who I want to be.

My name is pure happiness. It's like a festival teaming with life. People going every which way, simply enjoying themselves and their company. Festival rides turning. Bright lights in the nighttime. A quiet hum of luminosity.

I wouldn’t want it any other way.