Keepin’ It Real

This is part of the Blogged and Found series which turns the spotlight on blogs which I have found that have had a tremendous impact on me by making me laugh and cry and more than anything inspiring me deeply often in a subtle kind of way.

I usually find blogs through various sources on the internet. The Antique Mommy is one of the first few that I discovered in a magazine – Good Housekeeping to be precise. Her article – Scarred, for life (an excerpt of which appears below) featured in the July 2007 edition of that magazine It was so easy to relate to what she illustrates so poignantly that I also went back in time and took a calm rollercoaster ride to the precarious episodes that I have had in life some of which have left a souvenir in the form of a somewhat visible scar.

Scars of Misfortune
I have another three-inch scar at the base of my throat, where a surgeon relieved me of my cancerous thyroid when my son was about 8 months old. My mom came to Texas and took care of the baby, while I went through the long recovery and period of isolation required with radiation. I also have a one-inch scar on my groin, where a surgeon (whose face I never saw) extracted my badly misbehaving appendix. This happened at a time in my life when I was single and living alone. A girlfriend carried me to her car and took me to the hospital. When I woke up the next morning, she was sitting next to my hospital bed praying over me. Those scars reminded me that life can come crashing down on you in the blink of an eye and that a friend can make all the difference.

A Scar of Blessing
And then there is the mother of all scars, the one that put an end to my bikini days but was the beginning of a life far better than any day at the beach. When I look at it, I recall the day, three years ago, when my son was pulled from the safe haven of my body and into this world, where he would begin the story of his own life. And collect his own scars

• Antique Mommy
• Tina Anderson