We all have various experiences that we carry around with us throughout our lives. They leave a mark on us whether we like it or not. These experiences can range from exhilarating and joyful to frightening and tragic. In my opinion the average person has a balance between the two extremes, but there are those who maybe have had more positive experiences than negative and those who have had more negative than positive. Whatever the case, these experiences mark us not only emotionally or spiritually, but they also begin to leave physical evidence as well.

Consider the wrinkles on a face – some have wrinkles from so much laughter in their lives and yet others have wrinkles from spending most of their lives frowning or being angry. There are those who walk with shoulders back, confident and sure of where they are going in life. On the other hand, there are those who walk with stooped shoulders because they have met hardship or defeat so often that their confidence has been shattered. Some are able to look you straight in the eye and there are those who are terrified at the thought of making eye contact.

I don’t have many wrinkles yet, I’m sure they will come with time. Like the average person I have had a mix of joy and hardship in my life. In fact, I think I have had more joy in my life than anything else. I walk with shoulders back, head held high and have no issues looking people in the eye. So what physical mark has tragedy left on me? The spark in my eye when I smile is gone. I’ve only just now noticed as I’ve been flipping through pictures of me before my tragic loss and pictures after. I don’t know if in time the spark will come back, but I was definitely shocked to see the difference.  It doesn’t bother me much, it was just surprising to recognize how the loss of my parents left its mark on me physically.

What physical marks do you have that is evidence of your life experiences?