Within

Finding inner beauty can be one of the most difficult tasks. True, if one has been beaten down for years and recently a medical issue turn outside beauty into nightmarish freak show. The world has been turned inside out and upside down, and inner pain strikes far worse than the pain from medication slowly burning the cancer from my face and body. One day, not too long ago, I was told I had no idea how it felt to be disliked because of being voluptuous and alluring. My vocabulary slipped from my mind, words were lost and my flesh stung as if a hand thrust across my face and a fist jabbed deep into my gut. After eight surgeries removing skin cancer, I agreed with the specialists to begin a treatment that would bring out precancerous skin cells and destroy them before needing surgery. What we didn't expect, the precancerous skin cells would cover most of my face, down my neck and my chest. Flu like symptoms sometimes cause me to stay in bed, and most days the burning heat that rises from the affected areas seem unbearable. Makeup burns, exercise sweat is torture and sunlight rays dancing on my skin act as thousands of needles stomping on open wounds. Beauty from within is difficult to conger up when humans torture us with their words and actions. The lesson: remove those around you that make you feel unacceptable, inferior or substandard in any way. It's true that my outward beauty has disappeared temporary but my inner allure will prevail if I surround myself with loving people who can see me for who I am. I suggest you do the same. Learn from others, be kind to one another, and treat others how you wish to be treated. Find beauty from within!