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I'm An 18-Year-Old With Stretch Marks And I Own Them Because They Make Me Human

An open letter to the marks that make me human.

Hannah Schmidt

Jun 13, 2018

Wake Forest

1000

I'm An 18-Year-Old With Stretch Marks And I Own Them Because They Make Me Human

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bj8DM3fAaPk/?tagged=stretchmarks

I have a secret to tell: I am 18 years old and have stretch marks. This is a letter to them.

Dear stretchmarks,

I have tried so long to conceal you and hide your beauty from the rest of the world. I attempted to hide your stories and my journey while trying to fit society's standards. I wanted to be one of the tall, tan, fit girls I see on Instagram, magazine covers, and television. I wanted to be a girl that others could be envious of. I stared at you in the mirror and contorted my body in the efforts to hide you in my summer clothes.

I would grab my skin and try to measure how much I needed to shed in order to be "beautiful" and would cover myself in makeup to make these valleys into flat ground. I hated you for so long and prayed for you to magically disappear. However, I have learned that you make me human.

Thank you stretch marks, you have made me human.

You surround my hips as a constant reminder that I have been blessed with child-bearing hips just like the women in my family. My butt highlights my hard work on the journey to achieve this amazing asset. You make your way along my stomach as a road map of my fluctuating yet beautiful body. My thighs welcome you as a souvenir of the long hours in the dance studio. My whole body thanks you for making me so unique.

I am the woman I am today because you are a constant reminder of what I have experienced. I have learned to embrace your every line and crease you leave on my body. You are teaching me to love myself and every journey I have been on. I am sorry it has taken me this long to embrace you and all your beauty, but I am so grateful that you are a part of me.

Sincerely,

Your stretch marked owner

11 Signs You've Found The Ultimate Friend Group

They are the types of friends you have for life.

Western Washington University

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Photo by Elizeu Dias on Unsplash

If I have learned one thing in my lifetime, it is that friends are a privilege. No one is required to give you their company and yet there is some sort of shared connection that keeps you together. And from that friendship, you may even find yourself lucky enough to have a few more friends, thus forming a group. Here are just a few signs that prove your current friend group is the ultimate friend group.

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Entertainment

8 Things All Siblings Know Too Well

As told by Ross and Monica Geller.

Clarion University

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When it comes to television, there’s very few sets of on-screen siblings that a lot of us can relate to. Only those who have grown up with siblings knows what it feels like to fight, prank, and love a sibling. Ross and Monica Geller were definitely overbearing and overshared some things through the series of "Friends," but they captured perfectly what real siblings feel in real life. Some of their antics were funny, some were a little weird but all of them are completely relatable to brothers and sisters everywhere.

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Lifestyle

11 Types Of Sorority Girls

Who really makes up your chapter...

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College is a great place to meet people, especially through Greek life. If you look closely at sororities, you'll quickly see there are many different types of girls you will meet.

1. The Legacy.

Her sister was a member, her mom was a member, all of her aunts were members, and her grandma was a member. She has been waiting her whole life to wear these letters and cried hysterically on bid day. Although she can act entitled at times, you can bet she is one of the most enthusiastic sisters.

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Lifestyle

10 Reasons Why Life Is Better In The Summertime

Winter blues got you down? Summer is just around the corner!

Westfield State University

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coconut tree near shore within mountain range

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Every kid in college and/or high school dreams of summer the moment they walk through the door on the first day back in September. It becomes harder and harder to focus in classes and while doing assignments as the days get closer. The winter has been lagging, the days are short and dark, and no one is quite themselves due to lack of energy and sunlight. Let's face it: life is ten times better in the summertime.