A Confusion on Degrees

I was a child, a dreamy child
They held a painting contest
I splashed my colourful dreams on paper
Then they 'judged' someone's the best

I had tons of fun while drawing
And even more while colouring
But after they announced the prizes
I felt I was missing something

I looked at my colourful creation
And I wondered what was wrong
The joy was gone, the fun was gone
And confused I trudged along

Over years, the confusion vanished
And I collected many a degree
Academic, sports, and even yoga
So I could flaunt my pedigree

More years pass, the confusion comes back
For subtler the degrees now get
'Successful professional', a common one
Or the 'Happily Married' certificate

This time I will embrace with open heart
The gifts present in my confusion
This time I am able to recognize
That a degree belongs to an institution

If I reject the institution, I can reject the degree
I can reject the invitation to be judged
I can splash those colours on my canvas again
And rejoice in the way they are smudged