Every time he entered a building he received uncomfortable stares. People were just so insensitive. They looked upon him as if he were some sort of alien or science project.

Before the surgery, he did not get those kinds of looks. Some of those who knew him before surgery only came to look upon his imperfections. In a sickening way, they rejoiced over his blemish as if they had no imperfections of their own. Unfortunately, some people focus on the scars of another in order to feel better about or to camouflage their own scars.

Initially, he was quite self-conscious; he became a prisoner to his scars until one day a little child innocently asked him about the unavoidable blemish. The question made all the difference; it revealed to the gentleman that his scars were an opportunity to tell his story.

Like this gentleman, many of us have some outward signs of pain. We all have scars that tell a story. Every time someone sees one of our scars we have the opportunity to enter into conversations about our past experiences. Some scars are visible but if we are honest with ourselves, there are some scars that are undetectable by the human eye.

Some of us have scars obtained from unhealthy relationships that left us mangled and torn. We felt dismissed and rejected. Although we were left with broken hearts and wounded minds, despite what happened we survived to tell our stories. Our stories are necessary for others.

When the little boy asked the gentleman about his scars, the life experiences he shared with that child made a lasting impact on his life. You see, the gentleman wasn’t aware of the child’s wounds. This child had endured daily teasing from his peers about how he looked, the clothes he wore, and where he lived.

As the gentleman shared his story, the child’s eyes began to gleam. At that moment, the child’s wounds began to heal and he began to develop scars. He stopped being ashamed of who he was and took his rightful place in the world.

You see, when we embrace our scars it makes us believable, real, and trustworthy. We become more than survivors, we become healers. At times, we can appear as being “too perfect” which may raise suspicions about us. But let’s face it, we aren’t perfect; it’s just that our wounds have healed and turned into scars.

We must embrace our scars because they prove to us that we can heal from our experiences. Although some wounds require band-aids, while others need stitches or staples, the most important thing is the wounds healed. Although hurtful, our wounds are not fatal.

So, don’t hide from your scars because your story is necessary for someone else’s healing.