Four Eyes

It was in third grade that I found out about my eyesight. I had unknowingly struggled through years of blurry faces and confusing chalk boards. The entire ride home with my first pair of glasses was spent pulling them on and off and exclaiming each time "Mom, I can see the leaves on the trees!" and "Everything looks so bright!". My eyesight was bad for a third grader and I thought my new frames were the bees knees. 

Each year I would get a new pair and beg to buy the small kids glasses with the cool paint splashed frames but my mom was convinced that my face was going to grow. And what was once my savior soon became a great source of shame. There were many reasons that I was never invited to the popular table but I put that resentment towards the coke bottles. I was determined to get rid of them.

In the seventh grade I was allowed to switch to contacts and although it didn't change my lunch table I did feel better about my face. This year I decided to finally drop a few bucks on glasses that I actually like. I can look back now at the photo with my huge glasses and awkward features and laugh. But it still gives me a lump in my throat to remember how painful the name calling and snickers were. Those years  built my resilient and empathetic character. I wish there was a way to tell my sixth grade self that everything would work out. That one day I would be completely content with my face and even enjoy the fashion of having four eyes.