By Karen Grouten

Let’s talk about scars, shall we? We all have them. We all know what they are. They are the spots on our body or our soul or our emotions that heal over from an injury. But those spots are not quite the same as before. Sometimes we try to hide them. Both the physical ones and the emotional ones. Sometimes we get bullied because of them. Sometimes we try to cover them up and pretend they never happened at all.

Then somewhere along the way, we learn to embrace them. To realize they are part of us. To let them remind us of the growth and change that has taken place within us because of that injury, that has yes, healed over, but not left us unchanged. We stop allowing them to define us. We accept them, and we accept ourselves.

See this beautiful young woman? This is Tammy.  Tammy is gorgeous, smart and funny. Today [June 1 AngelRide 2019] before riding, Tammy told us how she was burned in a gas stove explosion in which she lost her father. She was burned over 67% of her body. Her brother was burned over 50% of his body. She recovered. But she wasn’t the same. She attended this camp, and could wear a bikini in the lake, and be just like the other kids. There were no stares. There were no questions. There was only acceptance. Today she rode with us. Her first Angel Ride. Up until today, the most she had ridden was 25 miles. Her scars, like the rest of us, will never leave her. But they do not define her. Today, I thank her for giving me perspective.

Maybe my own scars are just a little more accepted and a little less hidden and covered up because of Tammy. “♥️♥️♥️”