Leaving Their Marks

Scars    copyright 2011, C. Schroeder, All Rights Reserved

There is place on my right cheek, fairly close to my nose where a faint scar crosses.  It is not easily seen, but those who know my face well, know it is there.  That little scar was made on my 2nd day of life in this world, with my own fingernail.  They told my mother that it would go away.  But it never did.  It's become part of my story.  

Stuff happens in life.  We have all experienced our share of pain inflicted by other people, situations, life itself and sometimes even we inflict things on ourselves.  And some of that stuff leaves scars.  Sometimes temporary ones.  Sometimes quite permanent.  Each scar is a sort of badge of honor...something one has somehow gotten through and survived, or at the very least, an interesting story.  Those old wounds however, are only scars when they stop hurting, and become a simple reminder of where we have come from.

There are people who walk around with those scars quite visible physically.  And then there are those who walk around and their scars are hidden.  We don't know what life has dealt many people, because they remain silent about it, believing that is the best way to get through.

I don't know about you, but I love to hear peoples' stories, full of all the pain and joy of life, full of complexity and confusion and hope.  Ask someone about one of their scars...ask them to tell you the story.  And maybe they'll ask you about one of yours.