At just four years old, my daughter was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare and violent form of bone cancer.
Four years of age.
She continued to wear ballet skirt at home, hadn’t figured out how to ride a bicycle, and had never entered a classroom. In the ensuring year, she experienced more suffering than many adults encounter in a lifetime. She lost friends to cancer, saw her gorgeous blonde curls fall out, and endured intense treatments that condensed her physically weak and emotionally transformed.
The tumor was found deep in her back, nestled between two ribs and applying pressure on her spine. Treatment involved 17 sessions of chemotherapy, the removal of four ribs, a section of her spinal sheath, and spinal fusion surgery.
However, she throve. She lived on. She was announced to be in remission.
The young girl I took home was slender, marked, and silent. Yet today, at 8 years old, you would never imagine what she has endured. She’s energetic, lively, and brimming with spirit a brutal an academic achiever, and overflowing with attitude and flair. She is a genuine survivor.
However, certain injuries are not tangible. One morning, in a hurry, I gave her a tank top to put on. She paused. “A camper remarked that my scars are terrifying,” she whispered.
My heart traumatized.
I drew her near and murmured, “He likely didn’t grasp it. Your scars aren’t fear some they’re brave. “They reveal what you endured.”
She wept, expressing her desire to be “normal.” I told her that her story has the power to inspire others to children facing struggles similar to hers.
That prompt burnt something. Several days later, we prepared a photoshoot with a close friend to prove to Claire what true beauty means not perfection, not flawless skin, but strength. Elegance. Power.
Her small frame bears scars, indeed yet it recount a tale of bravery and optimism.
If you bear scars, I hope you never feel obligated to conceal them. By displaying them, you could potentially motivate another young girl to take pride in her own.
Let’s show our children that true beauty is courage. Being different is not a flaw it’s strength.
