Warts and All

When I was in the fifth grade, I developed a wart on my left knee. It was in the same spot that my dad had one. Weird, right? I was so self-conscious about it. Every second of the day at school, I was making sure none of my classmates could see this wart. Oh, the embarrassment I would have endured if anyone had seen it!

This lasted a year or so, until the wart removing medicine melted it away. Looking back, I have to laugh about how ridiculously worried I was about that damn thing. It was a tiny flesh-colored spot. Perfectly normal, very common. If only I had this same feeling back then.

I do not want my kids to worry about their warts. I am hoping that I can help them develop the mind-set that little things like that should simply not register on their self-conscious scale. They have no warts yet, but they do have a few adorable little freckles. I have made it clear to them that I love their freckles and they make them even more beautiful. Hopefully in their minds, freckles will translate into warts, body shape, weight, and every other aspect of loving themselves the way they are.