A GUY ASKED ME TO DANCE AT PROM WHEN NO ONE ELSE WANTED TO BECAUSE OF THE SCARS ON MY FACE — THE NEXT MORNING, HIS PARENTS SHOWED UP AT MY HOUSE WITH THE POLICE. When I was nine years old, a fire tore through our kitchen while my mom was asleep upstairs. We survived, but I was left with burns on my face, neck, and part of my arm. That's what I grew up with. Over the years, you get used to your reflection in the mirror. … See more
A Boy Asked Me to Dance at Prom When Everyone Else Looked Away Because of My Scars — The Next Morning, His Parents Arrived at My House With the Police
When people first notice me, they almost always see my scars before they see me.
I've learned that over the years.
Some people stare for a second too long before looking away. Others pretend not to notice, which somehow feels even more uncomfortable. Children sometimes ask honest questions that adults are too afraid to ask. I've heard whispers in grocery stores, seen strangers glance twice in restaurants, and watched classmates invent stories about what happened to my face.
But scars have a strange way of teaching you who deserves a place in your life.
My name is Emma, and when I was nine years old, a single night changed everything.
The Night That Changed My Childhood
It was early December, only a few weeks before Christmas.
I remember waking to the smell of smoke before I understood what was happening.
Our kitchen was on fire.
