Today’s Capture Your 365 photo prompt was Be Thankful for Who You Are.  We were urged to take a self-portrait that shows who we are.  This is my photo.

For many years, I tried to achieve perfection in everything that I did – from school, to relationships, to parenting.  I thought that I had to be perfect in the eyes of everyone around me to be worthy of being be loved.  Needless to say, I fell way short of my goal.  Once I realized that it was impossible to achieve perfection in anything and learned how, and, perhaps more importantly was willing, to embrace my many imperfections, I became a much happier person. It’s amazing how much easier joy is to find while embracing imperfection than it is while chasing perfection!

We’ve all heard people talk about “being comfortable in your own skin.”  Often that is a tough thing to do.  As a person with albinism, becoming comfortable in my own skin took some hard work.   When I looked in the mirror, I saw imperfection.  I saw something that no matter how hard I worked, or studied, or prayed, it was not going to change.  And there was no way to hide it.  Hair dye and spray tans that turned people orange were not my cup of tea.  Thankfully, over time I have learned to love the person that I am, both on the inside and the outside.  It hasn’t been easy, but it has been  worth it.  Sure.  People still make rude comments to me and ask stupid questions.  No, my eyes aren’t red,  And, yes, all of my hair is this color.  The teasing, mocking, and commenting will never change…because I am different.  Fortunately, I have a quick wit and an arsenal of comebacks that I am perfectly capable of using in an instant.   And I am no longer willing to accept the hurt that others try to inflict upon me.

I am blessed that I have come to a point in my life where I can say with all honesty that I like who I am.  Am I perfect?  Nope.  And that’s OK.  No one is.  That said, there are many, many people in the world who are unhappy, who are downright miserable with who they are.  The numbers are staggering.  Many of these people are not comfortable in their own skin because society has labeled them as unworthy, weird, a freak, ugly, worth;ess, crazy, unloved, and unlovable .

I feel certain that I can say that every one of us has had a period of time in our lives when we weren’t happy in our own skin.  We thought we were too fat, to skinny, too short.  We were in a miserable relationship.  We were miserable because we weren’t in a relationship.  We were in an unhealthy work environment.  And the list goes own.   Though many of us may have experienced similar circumstances, no one can fully understand or experience something in the exact same way as another human being.  Like achieving perfection, this too is impossible.

I find today’s photo prompt about being thankful for who we are a bit prophetic as today is Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day set aside to remember and honor all of our transgendered siblings murdered because of anti-transgender prejudice.  It is recognized annually on November 20.

Can you even begin to imagine what it must feel like to walk in the shoes of a person who feels like they are living as the wrong gender?  Unless you have done so, the answer is “no”.  Therefore, no one has the right to mock, judge, or deny our transgender siblings justice and love.  Think back to that unhappy situations in your life – those lousy jobs and unhealthy relationships.  What did you do?  If you are a positive thinker, you did your best to change something to get yourself out of that misery.  That is what transgendered people have done.  They have made a brave move to make themselves happy and whole.  They made a journey that was painful both emotionally and physically to get to a place where they can be not only happy in their own skin, but love themselves deep down.  Yet, there are many people out there who feel that these people deserve to be the target of violence.  That they deserve to be treated as lesser citizens.  You know what…those who believe this way are wrong.

I can guarantee that every one of you has crossed paths with a transgendered person at one time or another, maybe even in a public bathroom.  Your world did not come to end.  Transgendered people are not the perpetrators of crimes that conservatives try to make them out to be; more often than not, they are the victims.

The news these days is filled with story after story about sexual abuse and harassment..  And you know what?  None of the accused are transgendered or LGBT folks.  They are white heterosexual males.

As a society, we need to wake up.  Until we live into the belief that all human beings are deserving of justice, equality, and love, we are failing.  We can’t achieve perfection here anymore than I can achieve perfection in my life, but I do believe that we all can do a whole lot better than we are doing right now.

I urge every one of you to live a life that openly and actively respects the dignity of every human being.

This concludes my thoughts for today.