I remember the one distinct moment in my life when my innocent childhood perception of beauty was changed forever. I was about 11 and after being reminded on a daily basis how beautiful I was by my family, a friend commented, “Your nose looks so big”. It sent chills down my spine. I stood there in horror. I ran to the mirror. “She’s so right”, I thought to myself, as all the past reassurance of my beauty vanished by the minute. Just one comment was all it took and I was self-conscious about my nose for the next 10 years or so.

After beginning my journey to health and learning to love myself – all of my self – I never thought much about my physical “imperfections” anymore. In fact, I learned to appreciate them. My nose is my unique quality. It stands out. It looks exactly like my younger brother’s nose and I would never call his nose ugly, so why would I call my own that? My nose does wonderful things for me. Without it, I couldn’t appreciate the aroma of muffins in the oven or the experience the way the world smells after a good rain. It’s apart of me and it’s how God created me. And I wouldn’t change it for the world.