Heart of Stone

She walked along the creek with her daddy, talking about things that occupy an eleven-year-old's mind. One of the stones on the ground caught her eye and she picked it up to show him. It was shaped like a heart, which made it an instant keepsake of their day together. The stone was smooth from being beaten with water and rolled in the creek for who knew how long. Amazing how something so beautiful and meaningful could come from such harsh conditions.

I thought I would feel better today but I started out feeling down and spent most of the day wallowing in self pity. I kept replaying in my mind everything that has been said or done recently that has made me feel worthless and despised. I'm not saying anyone set out to make me feel that way, just that I felt it. Sometimes our minds make up their own interpretations.

I've talked to several people lately who are having their own struggles with self esteem. It's really sad when people don't realize their value. One young lady has been told unthinkable things by her mother and step-mother, things that made her feel unlovable and unloved. She yearns for someone to love, who will love her back, but always has those little voices inside telling her she's not worth it, keeping her down and challenging any personal victory she might have.

Another friend is always surprised when I compliment her looks, or her inner beauty that makes her one of the nicest people I've ever met. She says that people just don't say these things to her. She has gone through something recently that really tore her self esteem apart. I don't know the details, I only recognize the sadness. I see it in so many people.

I want the people in my life to know how precious and valuable they are. There is a reason for their lives. There are people who love them, even if they can't see or hear them through all those inner voices trying to scramble the signal. Being dashed on the rocks hasn't destroyed them. It has only enhanced their beauty. It is how they became who they are. They are beautiful.