I fell on some rocks while on vacation earlier this week- face first. I cut my lip, chipped a tooth or two, scraped my face and shoulder and did something to my right hand, which is swollen and sore. I was goofing around on some rocks on a beach with my nephew, basically serving as the best kind of cautionary tale of why people always warn against horseplay.
Visible scars prompt looks, stares and the occasional inquiry. People ask how you’re doing. If you need a day off or if you’re in much pain. Afterwards they’ll ask about recovery. If you’re feeling better.
Sometimes don’t you wish the mental health scars we all carry were equally visible? When you’re depressed you put on a happy face and fake it until you reach a breaking point. I think it’d be easier if people could see you were in pain and ask about it. But since those scars are invisible we have to be willing to share them. If you need help and want someone to extend a hand, a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen, you need to tell them about the scars.
Paul's letters... 