The Music In Me

A seven year old might think when sticking their head out a car's window singing self composed songs into the wind that no one could hear them. One seven year old might be very very wrong! Adults could nurture this creativity, or smash it! Unfortunately for this little seven year old, the embarrassment her parents caused when they teased her at their destination caused her to stuff that creativity deep, deep inside.
 An art teacher told me once that my drawing wasn't any good because I didn't stay in the lines with my crayons. She didn't see that I had ignored the lines and drew my own picture. I didn't want to color the dolls sitting having tea, I wanted to draw a horse in a field of flowers. Then shortly after, my crayons were taken away. Those memories still infuriate me knowing my creative sparks were demolished at such a young age.
 Nurturing the artist within. I have tried my best to turn the reins free on artistic creativity for my three sons. Each of them have a creative gift, and if they make it their career or hobby is totally up to them. If I'm lucky, they share bits of their creative works with me and I treasure each of them. The next time a child shares their "gift" with you, remember to embrace it, don't snuff out their spark. What would have happened if Mozart's piano was taken away or Leonardo Da Vinci never painted? I believe art can change the world and make it a better place.
 I once heard, that music makes the world go around.

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!