The Scar of Words

Jane
2 min readJul 20, 2024

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Photo by 🇸🇮 Janko Ferlič on Unsplash

A Real Story from My Life:

“It’s been over a decade since an incident occurred that has stayed with me to this day. I was just a pre-teen, when a comment was made about me that would change the way I saw myself for a long time. As I’ve grown older I’ve come to realise the impact of that moment, and I’ve wanted to share my story in hopes that it might help others who have experienced something similar. So here’s what happened….

When I was in 6th or 7th grade, a friend came to me and shared something that had been said about me behind my back. Her friend had told her that if I didn’t have fair skin, I would never be considered pretty or beautiful. What hurt me the most was that the person who made this comment was also one of my closest friends at the time.

This incident deeply affected me, making me feel like my self-worth was tied to my skin color. I couldn't help but wonder if I was somehow at fault for being born with fair skin. The pain of that moment has lingered, and even thinking about it now brings up intense emotions. I've caught myself wanting to cry, feeling a deep sadness that I've never fully shaken off.

What's most striking is that I never even realized I was 'fair-skinned' until that comment. I simply thought everyone was beautiful in their own way, and I never compared myself to others. But that one statement made me feel like my beauty was only skin-deep.

It’s hard to put into words how much it hurt me. The memory still brings up a lot of emotions, and I’ve had to work hard to forgive and let go. Interestingly, the person who made the comment still doesn’t know that her friend told me about it. I never confronted her or said anything, even though I was sad & hurt about it. We’re no longer friends, but I’ve moved on and continue to work on self-love and self-acceptance.

“…..And that’s my story. I’m grateful to have shared it with you. Thank you for listening and being part of my journey. I appreciate your support it means a lot to me.

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