When I was in my second year of university, my Dad got lung cancer and had to have his lung removed. They basically had to cut him in half from the waist up and in turn, he has an enormous scar that runs from his back all the way around his chest and up to his throat. He's very self-conscious of this scar and has changed his life somewhat to ensure that it's not seen by the outside world. I am always telling my father to never be afraid of that mark on his body because that scar is evidence of a second chance and a battle that what was won. He should be proud of that scar and tell his story victoriously because it's like they say...our scars are proof that our past was real.

Meanwhile, I look at my legs and see all of the little scars that I got from being a reckless child who would constantly trip over my long legs. Or the scar on my thumb from doing my chores and cutting my hand on a broken glass while doing the dishes!!! My knees are like badges of honour that proved I survived childhood!! Sometimes they even make me smile because I am reminded that once upon a time, the scariest and hardest thing in life was having to rip the band-aid off!!! "One quick movement", I was always told. Why do people think that works!?!?!

Looking at my physical scars, I find myself wondering why our emotional scars don't work the same way...?? They too, are a part of our past and the experiences that we have overcome, yet they tend to leave a painful reminder as oppose to an innocent one. For some reason, there never appears to be a quick and easy way to rip off the band-aid of an emotional wound. Why is that?? While childhood seems to be a turbulent time of scraped knees and bumped heads, adulthood is full of broken hearts and wounded spirits. And it's true that a broken heart still beats just the same, it's discouraging at times to know that a colourful band-aid and an orange popsicle don't distract from the pain the same way it used to.

Last September, I decided to join my church's bible study group. We would meet once a week and discuss several topics but, more times than not, we just discussed life and the many challenges that we have confronted along the way. It was like therapy but, with better cookies!!! Being one of the younger people in our study group, I was always fascinated to hear some of the stories of hurt and forgiveness that came up because, I always thought that, with time, forgiveness would be an easier pill to swallow. I think with time, forgiveness does become easier to do but, with more experiences and emotional scars, you find yourself having to do that much more of it. The conclusion that I've drawn from my observations is that practice really does makes perfect.

My mother-in-law, Kathy, has been such a wonderful addition to my life. She has shown support and unconditional love beyond what I ever could have hoped for. She has taught me a great deal about family and sacrifice and most of all, the blessing of being a parent. It seems that regardless of how old we become, we will always be her children and she will always want to be there to help with those band-aids and scars. One of the most special things about Kathy though, is the spiritual guidance that she has provided me over the years. I'm still fairly new in my faith and I often struggle with certain elements of what it means to be Catholic and a Child of God. Being an incredible woman of faith, she has led me through various challenges that I've encountered along my faith-filled path.

Last Christmas, she gave Steve and I a beautiful new Bible to aid us in our studies. While the Bible can be very complex and overwhelming to read at times, it's been a worthwhile and fascinating investment of time. I hope to be able to read the entire Bible at some point in time during my life and I know that Kathy's encouragement and guidance is making it more and more a reality.

With that being said, I just finished the Book of Genesis last night. I'll admit that the Old Testament can be a bit rough around the edges but, there is something so beautiful about reading the first Book of the Bible and seeing that it's all about forgiveness and compassion. Even in the earliest days, forgiveness was one of humanity's greatest needs. Likewise, hurt and pain was part of the human condition and in turn, grace and compassion was what set us apart from the rest of God's creation.

All this to say that I found the timing of this to be uncanny!!! I've been confronted a lot lately with the need for compassion and forgiveness. I've also been struggling lately with letting go of certain relationships that have been important to my life. Those relationships though, have also left scars that don't seem to want to heal. No amount of band-aids seem to be doing the trick and like in the Book of Genesis...I feel that I can either fight with God out of frustration, or I can turn around and make my path through the desert to a more serene place. The choice may seem obvious but, if it were that easy, than everyone would make wiser decisions and those tales of forgiveness would be nothing more than a story.

There are people in this world that I love dearly and who have left me with very beautiful memories. Some have even changed my life in ways that they may never know. But, just like falling down on the playground and having scraped knees or having a tumour and conquering cancer...you can and should wear those scars with great pride but, you also don't need to deliberately put yourself in a position to need more stitches. There are far better places to be than the doctor's office and far easier ways to get yourself an orange popsicle!!