Scars

When you are young, it is easy to see scars as imperfections, ugly reminders of injuries.  I don't see them that way at all.  I see scars as signs of overcoming, a sign that you have lived and suffered, and survived to tell the tale.

Richard has scars.  He has scars on his face, his head, his chest, his arms, his legs, his feet, his hands, & his back.  There are few places on his body that do not have scars.  I am humbled when I see them. I am humbled by the pain they represent.  I am humbled by the medical expertise and strenth that it took to create them. I am humbled at how the body heals itself.

We all have scars.  Some are not as obvious as Richard's, but we all have them.  I have scars from when my mother died, but you can't see those scars.  Some people have scars where body parts used to be, but no longer are there.

We have physical scars and we have emotional scars.  Those scars make us who we are. They give us a perspective that we otherwise would not have.  They give us empathy for others that we cannot get without having some scars.

If we see scars for what they are, we would be more likely to own our scars.  They represent a strength of character that cannot be found in those who do not possess them.

We can also learn from the scars of others, if we will.  Society has scars.  History has scars. If we learn from the scars we see in society and history, we can make a better tomorrow.  If we ignore them, we will create new scars that do not have to be experienced.

Listen to people with scars. Learn from history's scars. They have much to tell, and they can help you avoid scars of your own.