When I was diagnosed with Vitiligo, I thought “Perfect! Just one more thing to add to my list of vulnerabilities.” And of course, it just had to appear on the area that’s most visible to the world. Now, I had to constantly hide my face behind make-up that I didn’t even enjoy wearing so that others wouldn’t comment or stare at the white spot on my face. A spot that, to me, made me ugly.

I’ve had it now for years, always looking at it as something that takes away from the beauty I didn’t really believe I had. Even when I chose to believe that I was just as beautiful on the outside as I was on the inside, I never saw my white spot as nothing more than a hindrance… But it took one person to show me that it was the complete opposite (and in a weird way if I’m being totally honest.)When I asked this friend of mine what they thought of this white spot on my face, they said, “it reminds me of a pitbull.”

Naturally, I respond with “So, I look like a dog to you?” Admittedly, I was a little offended at first, but then I thought about the deeper meaning behind it. It’s silly to explain but that comment actually tugged at my heart in a way that made me look at my insecurity as something that made me unique.

Pitbulls are animals that are notorious for being labeled as something they’re not. They’re judged harshly by society when all they really want is to be loved and accepted… and boy, do they win the hearts of those who thought otherwise. Yes, you may think it’s a little ridiculous that I’m comparing myself to a dog but… don’t we all have some kind of spirit animal that we’re in love with?

The inside is what conquers the heart

Mine just happens to be a Pitbull. And I can’t thank my friend enough for giving a new meaning to my definition of beauty and strength. I’m not defined by my facial features or body shape. I’m defined by what the world see’s whenever they have a conversation with me or by learning who I am with the actions that I take.

I can’t say it’s always easy to look in the mirror and see something that I think shouldn’t be there at all… but it’s taught me a valuable lesson that so many people should learn sooner rather than later. You’ll never be able to convince me that people can fall in love… and I mean really in love with what they see on the outside. The inside is what conquers the heart. My pit-bull mark is a reminder that as long as my heart is filled with the right kind of beauty, I’ll never look ugly a day in my life.