This story happened when was in fourth grade all girls were incredibly pretty and I was the contrary. It might sound funny that creatures care so much about this at such an early age, but we did. I remember being tall with glasses and braces, a typical stereotype of a bullied girl.

Once a classmate of mine started teasing me about my origins. Calling me ugly Chinese immigrant and other offensive phrases that made me unconfterble and disappointed with my life. For the first time I was embarrassed of were I came from, I must say is the most terrible feeling you can have. I was embarrassed of looking myself at the mirror beyond the fact of being Chinese. I felt ugly and I felt that no matter my personality I would never be like the others. I thought that ill never fit in with the pretty girls which might sound superficial but in an environment as the one I grew up in being pretty seemed as something essential.

Going back to school after that day was torture. Watching those kid’s faces again brought back all those feeling I had in that particular moment. However, I had an internal force that kept me from falling. So I went back to school sacred but realizing that maybe someday things will be different. That boy teased me all day. I pretended I didn’t care but the scares he left was stronger than me. Beyond the fact that his insults were harmful I was girl I was a child who had to grow up or fall. That is the moment when I understood that age is just a number. Growing up has nothing to do with how much time you have lived. Growing up is based on you experiences and setting a side irrelevances rather, focusing in what life truly means.

That day I understood some lessons that have been percent all along my life. One of them is that I will never be like the others I was born blessed in a family different from any other. The second lesson is that external beauty is nothing compared to the beauty of the soul. When you are nighty years old and you are wrinkled with white hair no one will care about your looks rather they will care about the beauty that will remain intact and that is the beauty of the soul.

Eight years have passed and I look back at those days as memories I will keep in my heart. Throughout this year dive developed my personality more than my looks. It has turn out pretty great since I have so much people that actually love me for who I am not for how I look. The truth is that it takes a strong will to overcome bullying, most certainly when you are child. I might be thankful for that experience now since it helped me grow and realize life goes beyond looks. I learned how to look at people’s heart and understand their feelings without the need of looking at them. Because, faces are like masks that hide our real self that hide our secrets and fears.