As a child I felt out of place, and freakish. My right eye is smaller than my left, and I’ve spent most of my life trying to hide the fact that my ears could take flight. I never wore my hair up and I tried to take pictures with a straight face so my cheeks wouldn’t make my eyes look smaller.
WHY?!?
I look at my childhood pictures now, and I don’t see the same things that made me feel inadequate. I look at my daughter and can see that I gave her my right eye, my nose and my pointy upper lip (she wasn’t lucky enough to get quite the the level of ears that I have), but I’ve never seen anything more beautiful than her.
It’s now my job is to allow her to love all of the things that I hid about myself, and love them now. To teach her not to wait until she’s older to look back and love her ears!
It was these insecurities that led me to tanning beds, and led me to melanoma. If I had had the courage to own and love the skin that I’m in, I wouldn’t have tried to change my skin tone, and I wouldn’t have the scars (physically and emotionally) that I have today.
Own and love all that you are…..you are enough!
My shoulders have freckles. Do yours?
Founder of Shoulders With Freckles and SUMMERSKIN, as well as a Pharmacist, Melanoma Survivor & Mom.
