SCAR- A mark remaining (as on the skin) after injured tissue has healed.
(Merriam-Webster, 2021)
I was recently reflecting on how society places pressure on young people, particularly females, to project certain images. Specifically, an image of “perfection”. Not only is this unrealistic (NO one is perfect) but it is a trap. It leads to a society which longs for homogeneity and disparages uniqueness. Moreover, it usually results in people who are constantly finding fault with themselves. Hence, feeling inadequate or just downright ugly. This is completely dis-empowering.
Take myself, for example, I have a body riddled with scars. Some from trauma and some from just misfortune. I have chicken pock scars, long scars from barbed wire on my legs, a scare on the tip of my nose which resulted from using a bad skin care product (Oh, vanity!). I have stretchmarks from pregnancy and weight gain/loss/gain and a scar on my eye from climbing out of my crib as a baby.
As we have been stuck in quarantine so much over the last year, I have more opportunity to study my flaws in the mirror. I have tried several make-up tricks to hide the scar on the end of my nose and I have felt ugly and unattractive. I found myself becoming depressed and more dis-empowered. This led to more depression and dis-empowerment. Fortunately, someone saved me….The Goddess.
Recently, she came to me in a dream and she showed me what I was made of. As a daughter of the Morrighan, I have seen my share of challenges. But she has shown me that these challenges have shaped me. They have made me strong. They have shown me that I possess qualities of uniqueness, creativity and ingenuity, talent, and my own beauty. The challenges and strife that I have faced: all the bullying, loneliness, tears and pain, the struggle have made me resilient. They have made me tough, and ultimately, through her guidance have made me a better person not a bitter one. And what do I have to show for all this trouble? My scars.
My scars tell the story of my uniqueness, of my struggle and, ultimately, of my triumph. They are not ugly! They are beauty. They show that I am not a mere girl, but a woman. I have suffered and survived. I have grown strong. I will continue until the battle is won and my armor is washed in the ford! I will no longer hide my scars but revel in their beauty and their testimony. My scars tell the story of ME! And this, my friends, is empowerment! The Morrighan has shown me that my scars are a badge of honor, not something to hide. Do NOT be ashamed of who you are because society tells you that you should be something else. Be authentically you and show your scars! For You are beautiful!