MARQUETTE – While paying for gas a few weeks back, the cashier stopped, looked at me, cocked his head to the side and asked, “Did you get punched in the face?”

Throughout my life, I’ve been asked this question several times, along with many others addressing the port-wine stain birthmark on my chin and lower lip.

Most of the time, it’s harmless and comes from a place of curiosity.

Other times, the comments are brash and hurtful.

Throughout my childhood and teenage years, I was self-concious about my appearance. Society told me that I was different, and I believed it.

I was asked by other children if I had just had a glass of Kool-Aid, and as a teenager, I was told “you’d be cute if it weren’t for that thing on your face.”

I’ve spent the better part of my life concealing this perceived flaw. I’ve gone through painful laser treatments to lighten the color and have spent countless hours researching the best cosmetic products to cover it up.

The fact that I’ve let this affect my life in even the smallest of ways is not something that I’m proud of.

To this day, when I meet someone new, I still watch their eyes to see if they fixate their gaze on my birthmark. I worry what they might think, and if they’re capable of looking beyond my physical appearance and seeing the person I really am.

I take a while to open up to people, and I oftentimes wonder if the walls I put up are a result of a lifetime of self-consciousness.

They say we are our own toughest critics, and I agree.

Body image is such a sensitive topic. We’re told we can be happier if we shed a few pounds, color our hair or whiten our smiles. We’re bombarded with images of physical beauty that are unobtainable.

The reality is, everyone has flaws. They’re part of are who we are, and how we let them define us is our choice.

In the grand scheme of things, it really doesn’t matter. There are so many worse things that life can throw at you. I know that now, even though it took me a while to realize it.

What does matter is that we continue to learn and grow from our experiences, and that we exert kindness toward others. There’s so much more to a person than what you see on the outside.

Surround yourself with people that make you feel beautiful and remind yourself that beauty is not an outward appearance. It’s a choice. A choice to embrace the life you were given and to love yourself and those around you.

It’s time that I embrace who I am, birthmark and all, and to just be thankful for what I have.

Editor’s note: Kelsie Thompson can be reached at 906-228-2500, ext. 206.