Actions And Words Can Hurt

I was not looking forward to going back to work after my procedure and each day this week was exactly as I knew it would be.

It was nothing but the kids staring at me.  Some of them bumped into walls or almost spilled their trays because they were staring directly at me with a look of shock on their faces.

There were a lot of "what happened to your face?"

Then there were a few who felt the need to tell me my face looks disgusting.  Those two girls are in my daughters class and I didn't keep quiet with their teacher about it.

I don't mind the questions and the curiosity from children.  My face really does look horrible.  In the beginning of the week I kept a big bandage on my face but by the end of the week when the stitches came out I felt okay about just leaving it open.  I'm trying to make this healing process go as quickly as possible; however, I know there will be a scar for a very long time.  I just don't understand why anyone thinks staring at someone is appropriate.  I also find the "disgusting" comments to be very disrespectful and very inappropriate.  By the time you are in second grade you've heard it said enough times that bullying or any mean comments is not okay.  It was very hurtful, especially coming from kids I've worked with while volunteering in the classroom or being so nice to them during lunch.  I'm already feeling so depressed and down in the dumps over this whole procedure.  I look in the mirror and want to cry.  In fact, I have.  Then I dread those hours at work when I know the kids are going to stare and ask questions.  It reached a point that so many kids have asked and I just tell them to not worry about it.

It's not hard to show others kindness.  We have enough mean people in this world.  That's what I always tell my kids.

I also realize that a small spot of skin cancer on my face is nothing compared to what others go through.  I'm actually very thankful that it wasn't some other form of cancer or something else that could be life threatening.  I still have my health.  This was just the effects of loving the sun too much.