Know Thyself Heal Thyself Weekly Prompts

Surviving Our Wounds

KTHT Writing Prompts October 17–22

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The famous anthropologist Margaret Mead believed the first evidence of human civilization was not tools or things like clay pots. She believed the remains of a human body in an archeological site with a healed femur did. The bone connects the hip to the knee. Her argument being since it was a weight bearing bone, the person had to be cared for by others until it healed. The person would not have been able to care for themselves or protect themselves, so would have died before it healed.

I have given this concept a great deal of thought the last few months. A fused bone means you survived the break. A scar also is evidence you survived a physical wound, whether that wound was from surgery or an accident. I personally have a large and very distinct surgical scar on my abdomen as well as several minor scars on my body. There was a significant change that surgical incision would not become a scar but I survived the ordeal and the scar became a reminder of that. I have come to believe that scars are often indicators of physical, mental, and emotional wounds. Scars show you were strong enough and had enough support from others to overcome your situation.