From the time I was born I've dealt with cleft palate. At nine months old I had my first repair then my second at eighteen months old. As a baby I had problems eating, then when I began talking it wasn't even near where it should be (I had problems making my S & CH sounds clear). Recently I was informed my cleft palate is one reason my top jaw isn't developed the way it needs to be which is one reason for having to have jaw surgery.

But one thing I struggled most with from all of this was in the first grade. As mentioned I had problems with my speech, well this boy picked on me and mocked me on multiple occasions for it. One particular time that I remember was standing at the sink asking for the soap, well of course he repeated me making fun of how I sounded. Due to these type of instances I ended up having to talk with a counselor.

This upset me for a while but I wasn't one to let it completely take me over or allow him to have control over my life. Sometimes people end their lives over things like this. Which is why we need to be careful what we say to others. No one deserves to be talked down upon. They definitely don't deserve to be mocked, especially for things they can't control. Many people already feel insecure about so many things, they don't need someone pointing it out and making them feel worse. Instead of tearing others down, we should lift them up. Let them know that those imperfections they feel they have are still actually perfect. Also let them know that even some people that don't have visible problems still have feelings of doubt and their own ideas of what they feel is imperfect to their own self.

I was very blessed that through my cleft palate I had no visible signs. But I always imagine what if I had. That would have just been one more burden. But yet burdens can be turned into life stories and testimonies of Gods will. Burdens are just barriers in life, you can overcome them!

My point in all of this is that in life you'll have burdens, barriers and people who try to put you down and keep you from doing great things and people who don't want you happy just because of the pure fact that they aren't. These things don't define you and they shouldn't keep you down, they should be one of the many things that motivate you and cause you to succeed in life. Even through these, you are perfect how you are.