When you look in the mirror, what do you notice? What words do you say to yourself?
And why am I asking you this?
You see, I typically don’t leave pics of myself here because I want to live from the inside out, and share my heart with you, not my face. Yet today I am sharing both with you. Why? Because what we see and say in the mirror matters.
I have looked in the mirror many times in my life and only noticed the flaws and/or have criticized my face.
Post treatment I was left with what many of you probably think is a dimple on my right cheek, yet it is skin that was weakened and wrinkled by radiation. When I see the wrinkles, it’s funny, I don’t see a flaw. What I do see is a reminder that it’s a gift to be here.
Yet, an honest thought that circles through my mind every time I am waiting to see if I am NED, no evidence of disease, or not, is that I don’t know if I get to keep this face. You see, ACC is unpredictable and friends in my ACC family have lost an eye, part of their nose, cheek, ear, tongue, jaw, and others, like me, have lost their palate, teeth and gums. These are just the parts of the face that ACC has targeted. ACC has also cost people other parts of their body.
When I am waiting for results is when I am reminded in the mirror to be thankful for my eyes, my ears, my nose, my cheeks, my lips, my tongue, my teeth, my jaw, and even my wrinkled ‘dimple,’ as they are things I can no longer take for granted.
I share this with you today, not for you to feel bad for me, or our ACC family. Instead, I hope by sharing this with you, you will receive a renewed perspective the next time you look in the mirror. I invite you to join me, in front of the mirror, to...
pause. breathe. pray.
Take a look at yourself. See yourself as God sees you, beautifully and wonderfully made. Then take time to give thanks for what we so often take for granted; our eyes, nose, cheeks, ears, lips, tongue, teeth, palate, jaw, and yes, any wrinkles too. Moving forward, may our time in front of the mirror be spent choosing to see ourselves as God sees us, giving thanks for the beautifully unique person He made us to be and for the gift of being here, today.
With love and hope,
Shawn
“I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”
- Psalm 139:14