“What’s wrong, baby?”
We were just having a quiet time of play, when I noticed my firstborn Sarah-Faith’s face sour. Eyebrows furrowed, she bit her lip.
“I keep telling E to stop and she won’t, Mama.”
I knew this day would come.
Choking back tears, Sarah-Faith confessed that her assigned buddy at school had been taunting her about the scar tape she wears on her forehead to keep her scar from hypertrophying.
“She also said Esther-Praise is ugly.”
Two years ago, a freak accident that cut right down to the bone, left her with 30 stitches.
“Mama, will you pray Ms P will change my seat to sit next to M? M is kind and he doesn’t make fun of me.”
With my arms entwined like ropes around her, we both cried. “I’m so sorry, SF.”
Yesterday, as I made lunch awaiting their return from school, her voice rang through the living room- “Jesus answered our prayer, Mama!! Ms P swapped seats today!!!”
As I apply Sarah-Faith’s scar-cream for her daily, I remembered the cross-shaped scar on my own nose (she crashed into my face as a toddler and yes, the impact broke my nose).
It’s healed poorly compared to hers but I am learning, that scars, our children’s and our own, can be beautiful opportunities to learn empathy, growth and trust.
I realize one thing- that the beauty of a scar is this:
The people in your life who matter will either embrace and see beauty in it, or not see it at all.
But the people in your life who shouldn’t matter will make that the first thing they see and talk about.
Since SF’s accident, her plastic surgeon who gives her monthly scar therapy at a ridiculous discount also applies the same therapy to my nose. I tear up every time she does it for me because it would cost hundreds of dollars otherwise. I would never have sought treatment on my own. My disfiguration ate into me.
But thru a tragedy, God’s grace covered not only my daughter, but me too.
Whenever you are, I hope you’ll always know- that scars are God’s reminders to us of battles fought and battles won.
Scars are tragedies-turned-testimonies.
Scar well, friend.