Never forget that your scars are a sign of strength, of survival and of power. We all have them. We all have scars from broken promises and bruised egos. We have scars from the boys who took our hearts as they left, and scars that remind us of all that we have been through. The scars that stain our hearts, that are permanently marked on our bodies, are there for a purpose.

They are there to show us who we used to be.

They are there to remind us that our hearts are still beating despite all of the markings and scratches.

They are there to remind us that we are still breathing despite the dust that still lives in our lungs. And even though our eyes are tired and weary from all the goodbyes we have said, all the love we have never gotten back, and all of the people we miss, they still see. They still open wide.

Your scars should never be something to hide. They should never be something to be ashamed of, or to shy away from. It’s ok if they bleed every now and then. It’s easy to pick at the things you should’ve done, should’ve said and should’ve loved. It’s easy to fall asleep with your wound open wide, because for some reason you can’t get your first love out of your head. It’s normal to pick at the scab that reminds you of all the people who hurt you.

You pick, and poke, but they aren’t ever going to go away. They will bleed, but they will also close back up for safe keeping.

If you look closely, you’ll be able to see that everyone has their own scars, and their skeletons in the closet that they don’t want to show to anyone. It’s easy to pretend they don’t exist. It’s easier to pick in the night when no one can see you. But we all need to realize that these scars aren’t ugly. They aren’t meant to be kept secret.

These scars are markings of our strength.

They show us that we are all warriors after all, even if we were dead for a while. We aren’t shaking and gasping for air anymore. We aren’t reaching for people that don’t bother to give us their hand. We aren’t shouting to the silent air anymore.

Instead, we are now fighters. We fought for our survival. And we did it. We finally did it. We are armies with the scars that prove it. We can stand now, without fear of breaking our legs in the process. Our scars are our memories, embedded in our souls and hearts.

Our scars are our war markings. They stay to let us know that we have survived worse before. And we will keep surviving, no matter what comes our way.

Our scars are beautiful reminders that no matter what tomorrow brings, we will still carry on. No matter all of the pain, the hurt and the worry, we survive. We keep walking. We keep on healing.