Battle scars

We all have them. They are sometimes visible and sometimes not. They are the evidence that we face tragedy and yet overcome. They are the proof that, in the end, we are victorious. Ever since I was a small child, I've heard the saying "It doesn't count unless you get a scar out of it." And I would have to agree. Life hands wounds out like there's no tomorrow, but we can choose to accept them and then let them heal over. Scars tell stories, personal and intimate, they are the details that shape tales on our skin and in our hearts. As strange as it may seem, I love asking people about their scars - because it usually leads to a deeper conversation than anticipated. I could tell you about the half inch gash on my right knee, scarred over for fifteen years now. I received the scrape when I was climbing a fence after helping try to save my sister's colicky horse. The poor horse didn't make it, and I now have the scar to remember him by. Or, the evidence of childhood chicken pox on my left leg that I scratched into a scar, reminding me that scratching isn't the best option when something is annoyingly itchy. We have these tell-tale scars, these pieces of our life story that will stay with us until the end. I would call them battle scars. Although most of us do not fight in physical wars in our lifetime, those battles with guns and bombs, we still often find ourselves fighting mental, emotional and other life threatening battles. Some of us fight depression, fitness, anorexia, or loneliness. Others still fight fear, pain, or disease. There are scars from these experiences and they can leave us weakened and afraid. Or, they don't have to. These scars can serve to remind us what we have lost, who we have loved, why we fight. These battle wounds will heal and become our strength, only if we let them. We can decide to take pride in our many scars, or let them dictate our lives. They are a part of who we are but they are NOT us. They do not define us. Wear them, my friends, with the knowledge that without them, you could not be the person you are right now. You will overcome. Time will heal your hurts. Scars will be left, but you are strong.