As you're well aware at this point, my goal for 2021 has been to write every day. We're only 34 days in, but I've (so far) succeeded in my goal plus I took on a short stories and essays challenge. To sum it up easily, basically I write one short story or essay a day (with the option of submitting it). Up until today, I've been re-writing short stories I've written over the past couple of years and had tucked away. I haven't used any of the writing prompts sent to those of us partaking in this challenge. Today, I finally took a look at that list and under the comedy section was this one: 'a homeschooling mom of five who takes on five additional homeschoolers.' I don't know who the hell wrote that list, but I can say without a doubt that shit is NOT a comedy! I could maybe put it in a dramady category, but I could definitely write it as a pyschological thriller.
All jokes aside, I did choose my essay topic: scars. Tell me about your scars.
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Here body was riddled with imperfections and scars. Each one was a map to her life; each holding a story, a memory, heartache, happiness, and adventure. There was the deep scar on her back, still a hole after twenty five years, that held the fear of melanoma before she even knew what melanoma was. There are numerous spots on her face that popped up over the years, likely from the long days spent outside watching her young children run through the yard. Their faces slathered in sunscreen, while her skin merely an afterthought.
There's the wide, deep, purple scar on her lower abdomine that brought humans into the world. This is by far the worst scar on her body, but by far her favorite. It holds memories of elation, scares, confusion, and bliss. She is proudest of this scar, that isn't just one scar, but numerous scars healed on top of each other.
There's the scars on her legs from countless mosquito bites she itched as she hiked through forests and mountains. Stories of failed bug sprays and rough terrains bring laughter. The small, narrow scar by her belly button brings a memory of a hospital stay, that was more of a vacation, when her youngest was weeks old. The large thin scar near her right knee reminds her of a botched shaving attempt in middle school.
Each scar is layers deep of emotions and memories. As one point in time, a perfect body may have been her ideal. As with many things, age has changed her idea of perfect. What one may view as lumpy or imperfect, she sees a life well lived. A life full of all the things one would wish in life and everything in between. Look at your scars. What to do you see?