When I was little, I was never much for Band-aides. They always seemed to pull off, get dirty, and generally were unhelpful when they got wet. Also, I liked to watch my cuts heal, which may be why I wanted to study the immune system when I got older. I loved the healing process! I know this might sound a little strange but stay with me here. I was fascinated how blood flow actually helped clean the wound and brought white blood cells where they were needed to prevent infection. After a few days, the area would be red where the blood flow continued to kill bacteria and then scab over so that no other germs could infect the cut. After a while, the cut would get itchy as it finished healing. Then the scab would fall off, even though most of the time I picked it off, and there would be a scar left. Usually, the scar went away unless it was a deep enough cut and it would remain indefinintely.
Our emotional wounds and healing have some similarities. I hate to make too many comparisons because analogies break down all the time, and everyone’s healing process through trauma can be different. For me, when I get hurt by someone or another situation, my brain is flooded with thoughts and ideas about what I could have done differently or how I can understand the situation better. I can get angry, heated, frustrated, and sad at the situation. And usually for me, I shut myself away from the world, clotting as it may be, so that I can repair the damage that has been done to me. Most of the time, scars remain and I revisit them a lot. I compare my scars, too, ranking which ones hurt the most and holding onto the memories of who or what caused them. I guess those of us with a lot of scars have done a lot of healing, right?
I hope those of you who have a lot of scars also have someone there to help bandage you up, rub a little peroxide or alcohol on your wound, even though that stings, and sit with you to help erase the memory of the hurt that caused the cut. If you’ve got those people, sometimes our deepest wounds can be a showcase for the strength and resilience we have against a world that wants us wounded all the time. Keep those people close, and be that person for someone who is battling alongside you.
Harry L. Estes 