What’s life like living with a facial difference?

What’s life like living with a facial difference?

Knowing you’re going to be stared at every day and still lacing your boots and going outside.

No matter where and who you’re around there will be others that notice your differences and either unknowingly or knowingly like to let you know that they see you and your difference.

Sometimes it’s easy to recover from, shake it off - Ya know? Shake it off like Taylor swift in that song which she sings about shaking it off. Shake it off!

Who cares! They clearly aren’t worth knowing! Forget them!

 

Or you give it your best shot to educate, ‘’Yeah, Might look different but still human!’’

 

And other days it knocks you flat, TKO. Down for the count. Time out and goodbye!

You just hide away for a little while you pick yourself up.

 

It feels wonderful and cursed all at once, you’ve been given this wildly rare thing, not everyone has what you have and what a great thing to use and educate in this society that demands the perfection of its imperfect humans.

We strive for perfection, we are perfectionists when it comes to tearing people down but how aren’t we so good at speaking kindly to ourselves or others?

Why are we so quick to praise someone’s beauty but so disgusted in any form of flaw.

Yes that person has great skin, still probably gets pimples but sure, looks great in that photo that’s potentially edited anyway.

Some days I don’t see my difference. I see Olivia.

Other days I see my wide eyes, I see my scars, I hear everything anyone has said to me.

I overthink everything, regret past decisions and wonder what life would be like ‘’normal’’

 

Wake up, Normal isn’t a word to describe someone. Nobody is normal.

Have you ever made yourself or someone else laugh so hard and during that time you start laugh/crying and consider maybe you’re actually super weird and almost crazy? I must be crazy?!

 

We aren’t meant to be this fake word ‘’normal’’

We aren’t meant to fit in these predetermined boxes that society has made for us.

We aren’t processed shapes and we don’t fit one set box.

We are incredibly unique and all of us have different strengths, weaknesses and talents that are just waiting to be discovered.

Living with a facial difference has taught me that no matter how you look and how you act.

You cannot please everyone.

You simply can’t.

Not everyone is going to like you.

Not everyone is going to love you.

And as much as you’d LOVE them too.

It’s not going to happen.

Focus yourself on what makes you happy and who makes you happy.

Live your life without anyone else’s rules and guidelines.

Don’t sign anyone else’s contract they have for YOUR LIFE.

 

Anyone who’s meant to be in your life will stay.

Anyone who wants to leave, will leave.

 

I had a rough day today.

So while I write this for you, I’m also writing this for me.

Living with a facial difference is challenging.

Living life is challenging.

I encourage you to take each day as it comes,

Be thankful for the positives.

And know the negatives will pass.