Everyone has scars. Whether they're big or small or purple or pink or visible or subtle or physical or emotional, everyone has them. Scars are apart of who you are, as difficult as that can sometimes be to accept.

I have my own scars. Specifically, two large, upside down T-shaped scars clear and pink across my chest from a major breast reduction surgery I had last year. Since this surgery changed my life in every other aspect for the better, at first I didn't think about the scars at all. I was ecstatic that this surgery fixed my pain and made me happier. But as I healed, my scars definitely seemed to be taking a long time to look any better than the jagged, red lines that they were. After a little while, it got hard to look down at my chest and feel, well, a little mutilated. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew my doctor had told me "it'll get worse before it gets better," and that stuck with me. It can apply to lots of different situations in terms of scarring.

As I grew and got used to these scars on my body, I reminded myself that these scars are apart of me and represented a pivotal time in my life. They represented a battle I had with my body for so many years, and how I came out on top and beat the constant pain I was under. And this can ring true for so many different situations: whether your scars are from a surgery, an accident, self harm or they're internal, they are representative of a significant time in your life. They are representative of how far you've come. And that's something to be proud of. You're still here! You're living, you're surviving, you're making it.

Of course, everyone's situation is different. Everyone processes differently. Everyone heals differently, physically and emotionally. But what has worked for me in learning to love the scars that adorn my body through recognizing that receiving them has changed my quality of life. For the better.