when i was twelve, a boy likened my arms and legs to those of a woolly mammoth, so i shaved my legs and wore long sleeves for far too long
when i was sixteen, my body turned against me, made sleep painful and hallways daunting, i began to wish for the strength of the mighty mammoth
now at thirty-three, i wear two deep lines upon my face, marvelous mammoth tusks, embraced gifts of time and perspective, just waiting to be wielded
never again will my body be minimized by a comment.
Words matter, don’t they, Natasha? They can hurt… or they build up. Or they can be interpreted in the exact opposite of the way they were intended.
Sometimes, it’s just better to say nothing — even if the words are fighting to burst out.
They definitely matter. So important to remember that. Unfortunately during our most impressionable years we often don’t have the restraint or ability to let comments roll off of our shoulders. Absolutely better to say nothing than have words hurt someone.
Ooh – “embraced gifts of time and perspective” – don’t you wish we could get that while we were much, much younger??!! The things that would have rolled off my back….
Always love your writing 🙂
Thank you 🙂 and yessss it would have been so nice to have some perspective when we were younger.