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My Acne Can be Booboos or Polka Dots, My Choice





Kids say the most blunt, innocent, and sometimes obvious things. 
 
Working at a preschool, I hear a lot of these remarks and phrases. The school even has a quote book where the workers can document the hysterical comments. I've added a few from time to time. 

One day a little girl climbed onto my lap, ran her fingers across my forehead, and frowned. "Aly has booboos." 

My acne had caught her attention.

It's not as bad as it has been in the past, but the scars are still there. Makeup can cover most of the markings, but by the end of the evening, they are clearly visible. 

I didn't know how to respond to her comment. Sure the acne hurts like booboos, and I surely didn't care for it. I knew my worth wasn't measured in the spots on my face, but there was a part of me that didn't debate the comparison. I felt no need to refute the thought that my acne was a booboo. 

A couple weeks later another girl, a little younger than the first, walked up to me, mouth poised in a small smirk. Her eyes wide, she pointed to my face. "Polka dots!" 

I laughed and shook my head. "No, honey. They're booboos." 

I regret that correction.

This little girl had chosen to look at something I hate and describe as something I love. Polka dots are my favorite, but I had chosen to dwell on the annoyance and pain. Why couldn't my acne be polka dots? There was no reason why I should have chosen to call my acne booboos when I had every reason to call it something beautiful.

Two girls described the same thing in two different ways. One described it as something that reminded her of pain. The other described it as something she loved to clothe herself with and march into the classroom with grand confidence. 

Last week, a child came up to me and touched my chin. Her eyes stared into mine, but she didn't say a word. 

"That's cool isn't it." I smiled. "Miss Aly has polka dots on her face doesn't she." 

The girl grinned. 

If that girl can learn now that God made her beautiful, her future will be brighter. If she can know now that something the world sees as a flaw doesn't have to be looked down on, she can handle a lot more pain that life will bring her. 

I still wear makeup, but there is no doubt in my mind that God made me beautiful even with my polka dot speckled face. 

~ Alyson 

Comments

  1. Hannah Joy1/19/15, 11:53 AM

    Wow do I love this and need this today. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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