“I think scars are like battle wounds – beautiful in a way. They show what you’ve been through and how strong you are for coming out of it.” That quote comes from Demi’s book and entry about scars. If we really think about it, a lot of us do have scars. I know people automatically think of physical scars (like Demi talks a little bit about in her book), but they don’t always have to be physical. They can also be scars we can’t see and that are on the inside.
Demi is right about scars being beautiful. I know they may not always look or feel pretty because they may look ugly or whatnot. That doesn’t matter. What Demi is trying to say is that scars show that you survived and you made it through although someone/something tried to hurt you (even if that someone is yourself). You made it through the other side. I know it’s hard showing our scars to other people (especially to those we care about), but it’s worthwhile in the end because like I said before we almost all have some type of scar. It’s what unites us together. Some scars take longer to heal than others because they are inflicted so much deeper and sometimes it’s harder to forget the pain. That’s why scars are so personal and make us feel vulnerable. Every scar and story is different.
Demi points out that our scars have shaped us in some way (maybe as the person we’ve become today because of them). So here’s to everybody who has scars. Here’s a couple of poems I’ve written about this subject matter because I have scars too (probably not as drastic as what other people have). So here’s to everybody who has scars, whether they’re physical or deep down inside you. Scars should be seen in a better light and should not always have a negative stigma attached to them. Be proud of your scars because they have gotten you here.
Scars and Wounds
There are scars that are invisible
To the outside world like
Self-inflicted wounds and
Battle scars, but there are also
Scars that are below the skin
That are invisible to the rest
Of the world. I’m the only one
Who can see and feel them
Everyday. The invisible scars
Come to show that only I know
What I’ve been through.
The rest of the world doesn’t
Have to ask if I’m okay.
They don’t have to pretend
Like they can’t see the
Wounds and scars.
The wounds and scars don’t
Always heal, but they’re still
A part of the past. They made
Me stronger than whatever
Or whoever tried to hurt me.
So I should be proud that
I made it through and to remind
Myself that my story isn’t over.
Scars
They say you wouldn’t make it
And that you’ll die before
You get to the very top.
You’re still here, aren’t you?
And where are they?
They are still stuck at
The bottom and still can’t
Make it past the first step.
Although they’ve
Fought every day and
Have the scars on their skin
To prove it, they don’t
Know what it’s like to have
Ones on the inside where
They’re invisible. They have
The physical scars for
Everybody to see, but
What about the ones on the inside?
You can’t show them your scars
Because they don’t know what
It’s like. They think you’re lying
Because they can’t see anything.
It’s not about seeing the scars,
It’s about feeling them.
The scars on the outside will
Fade and heal, but the ones
On the inside are still there.
They are a reminder that
You’re fighting battles
Everyday just like everyone else.
Whether you fought something
Physical or emotional,
It doesn’t matter.
What matters is that
You survived and
Made it through life.
We’re all survivors.