As I sat listening to a speaker I began inspecting the wear and tear on my 50 plus year old hands. Fingers crooked and swollen from breaks and jams. Scars caused from various wounds. I looked closely at this 1/2 inch scar on my left thumb.
I remember clearly how I got that scar.
A group of us in our early teens went camping along with two adult sponsors. Each tent had two campers, and we were responsible for cooking our own dinner.
We got the fire going. Put on a pot of baked beans. Then I began peeling a potato with a pocket knife.
I think you know what happened next. Yep, the knife slipped and cut deeply into my thumb.
Needless to say that delayed dinner.
That happened 40 years ago. The scar, as you can see, is still very noticeable.
My mind continued to wander from the speaker on stage as I looked at my 40 year-old scar. Even though I could remember the incident as if it were yesterday, I don’t remember much about the healing process. Yet obviously it did heal. Yes a scar remains to remind me.
Don’t we all wish that our scars would fade away and their memories along with them? Some do I guess. But the deepest and most painful ones tend to stick around.
Maybe it really is so we don’t forget. I promise you to this day, I don’t peel a potato with a knife. Or if I do, I peel away from my hand!
Maybe it is so the scars we get from life, whether physical or emotional, can become a part of our tapestry. Not only can we remember and learn from the hurt, but we can show others our scars to help them learn, hopefully so they don’t make the same mistakes.
Yes, I think my scars become a beautiful reminder of things learned and of healing. No need to resent that.
Now what was that speaker saying…
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