Today should be a day of joy, a celebration of another year of life, a moment filled with warmth and happiness. But instead, it’s a day that magnifies the loneliness and pain that have become all too familiar. I’m not just another face in the crowd; I’m the one people avoid, the one they pass by without a second glance.
From a young age, I learned a harsh truth: appearances matter. Society often judges people based on how they look and how polished they appear, as if these superficial traits define our worth. I’ve been labeled “ugly” and “dirty,” and these words have stuck to me like a scar, shaping how others see me and, eventually, how I see myself.
A Painful Reminder on My Birthday
On my birthday, this hurt cuts deeper. While others are showered with gifts, smiles, and warm wishes, I am met with indifference or, worse, disdain. People don’t see the person behind the labels. They don’t know the story that has led to this moment—the struggles I’ve faced, the battles I’ve fought, and the strength it takes just to survive in a world that often feels so unkind.
What’s most painful isn’t just the absence of kindness, but the intentional exclusion. Being left behind because of something as superficial as appearance feels like a profound injustice. It’s as if my worth as a person is reduced to how I look, rather than who I truly am.
Holding Onto Hope Despite the Hurt
But there’s strength in acknowledging this pain, in not letting it define all of who I am. Despite the hurt, I hold onto hope that one day, people will see beyond the surface. I hope they’ll recognize the beauty in resilience, in kindness, in the spirit that refuses to be broken.
Today is my birthday, and though it may be filled with more sorrow than joy, it also marks another year of survival, another year of living despite the odds. The hurt is real, but so is the hope that tomorrow might bring something better—a world where people aren’t judged by their appearances but embraced for their humanity.
