Scars are underrated. What do I mean? Scars are always seen as something so ugly. Something that needs to fade away or be removed as soon as possible. Even looking at my own, I’ve wondered when or how I could get them to fade as quickly as possible. However, at some point in my thoughts of immediate removal I began to look at my scars differently.
Scars are stories. Whether they be emotional, mental, or physical, they are stories. When have you ever met a person that had a scar and didn’t have a story behind it? I’m positive I can remember my story behind most the scars on my body, mainly basketball injuries. I have a story for every emotional scar, many due to relationships. And I have a story for my mental scars, even if they are mainly due to my own self-doubt.
Now, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with wanting scars to heal and disappear. I understand the ugliness and even some of the ugly reminders. I do however believe that with every story there is a lesson that comes with it.
I can almost guarantee that some of those emotional and mental wounds I have undergone would have faded away if I faced their ugliness head on. If I acknowledged that they were there before I was in such a hurry to get rid of them, I would have seen the lesson sooner rather than later.
My point, whether clear or not, is that when we are so focused on seeing ugliness and wanting it to fade away, we miss the beauty of the lesson in front of us. One of the most wonderful things about each of us is that we have our own story to tell, scars and all. If we’re in such a rush to constantly hide them, then we skip some of the most important chapters.