30-Day Writing Challenge (DAY 22) My Favorite Physical Feature

 Welcome to Day 22. As per the Challenge, I was supposed to talk about my morning routine which I find a tad boring because I really don't have like 20-step skincare routine to tell you. And so, I thought of looking up other topics I want to write about. - which is my favorite physical feature

When I was a kid, my cousins and playmates would often tease me about the big mole on my right cheek. They'd go as far as slapping it lightly while playfully saying "ay akala ko bangaw!!"  or they'd call me Siopao. That joke went on as I grew and I honestly got bullied because of it. It wasn't surprising that I came to hate it. I became so anxious and insecure about my mole, that I'd often use my hair to cover half of my face. 

On one random day, I told my mom "pag lumaki ako papatanggal ko talaga to", and she became sad and asked why. That's when I told her that people bullied me because of it. She said and I will never ever for the life of me forget this, "Bakit mo papatanggal yan? ikaw lang may ganiyan, naiiba ka sa kanila asset mo yan". My mom was never the comforting and malambing type. We never really had a heart-to-heart conversation about my insecurities but that day I felt so comforted and loved. True that a mom's love can get you going. Just retelling this story gives me so much longing. I wish my mom was still here. 

Over time, I learned to love what I once hated. I never put my hair up in a ponytail before but now I do. I became confident even if sometimes the insecurity still crept in. My mom would just say that it sets me apart from the rest of the world. 

That's why even when I can afford to have it surgically removed. I still choose not to. 

xoxo

Grasya