SHORT STORIES

Lasting reminder

The young woman touched the white scar marring her otherwise perfect skin.

It was barely visible, but she could still feel it no matter where her finger trailed over her face.

It's not a particularly long scar--just a simple, thin, white line. But for her, it was more.

It was a reminder.

When she was a child, she had been in a car crash. She remembered the way her family's car had turned over, the shrill roar of ambulance sirens, and the way she had woken up afterwards to strange faces and a bright light.

The doctors told her parents that she was lucky to be alive.

She had sustained cuts and bruises from the crash, but the only lasting reminder was the small, white scar on her right cheek.

For years, it had been a reminder of the horror she had experienced.

But then, when she was an adult, she realized that the scar was also a reminder of her strength and resilience.

Despite the painful memories, she had moved on and grown into the strong person she is today.

And every time her finger grazed her cheek and touched the scar, she was reminded of this.

She was proud of how far she had come, and how much she had grown.

The scar was just a reminder of her story, and it made her stronger.