I have a leg that’s always greatly affected by the numerous accidents I’ve been involved in. Or we could just call it the unfortunate leg or bodyside, generally. It has the nastiest scars, feels the residual pain, has bad hyperpigmentation and whatnot. For quite a time, I Abhorred it because of the unwelcome decorations but a closer look at the fortunate leg(side), I thought again.
The supposed unscathed and perfect leg reminds me of a child who lives in the shadows of her parents, never once venturing out to see how far their curiosity can take them; a child who grows into an adult but still is afraid to make their life decisions without their parents’ presence. In short, a child who never lives their life but her parents’. Such is my perfect leg.
While my unfortunate leg took me to places where It got deep wounds so I could learn a thing or two, the perfect leg hid behind the full length of my body. And now, as I look at my body, which is meant to be a canvas, where I can paint, sculpt, draw and write about my journey through life, my fortunate side of the body has no story to tell.
My “unfortunate” side, on the other hand, has different stories. Stories of times when I dared go beyond the fence. Stories of survival. Stories of roads I chose to take even when no one had ever taken them. My “unfortunate” leg, boasts of places it has taken me to, unflinchingly with so much gusto and pride, secure in the knowledge that, even with the unorthodox aesthetics, it is living,truly.
So, may you look at your scars, not as ugly sentences but as beautiful stories- stories that make you who you are, stories that remind you that you overcame bigger things on days when you feel threatened by anything, and most importantly, may those scars or “imperfections” remind you of how much you are truly living because life is made up of both joys and sorrows and each time we feel pain or any emotion, that’s how we know that we are alive.
Guest Written by: Abesiga Golda Desiree. Golda is passionate about women and equality, among others, and has written many articles on topics around women, parenting, and equality. also, read Friend or acquaintance? by the same author
