“Birthmarks” by Josephine F. delves into the struggle she has in accepting her birth marks. The outstanding piece explains that at a young age, Josephine was self-conscious of the marks on her lips and tried to hide them. She was teased and began to feel even more down about them. But after some time thinking about it, the ties it has with her family, the uniqueness of the marks, and the importance it has to her person, she begins to accept them and value them. They are a part of her and she is grateful for them. Josephine explains the process of overcoming her insecurity and moving from looking at them as “birthmarks” to “beauty marks.”

Overcoming insecurity is difficult and I value the way Josephine describes her journey to acceptance. I believe that for many other readers, as well as myself, this article may inspire and make people realize that unique is beautiful. The article seems to uplift readers and may get other teens to overcome their own insecurities and begin accepting themselves. Thank you, Josephine, for inspiring me and letting me know that I should not be ashamed of my strange freckles or weirdly shaped thighs.