Jaemin was only eight years old, he always heard the same words: "You're too skinny." Let it be a family member or at school, everyone made fun of him including his classmates. They bullied him for his thin body. Some strangers felt entitled to comment on his body. In the beginning he took it lightly but as he grew up, he couldn't avoid it anymore. He started to force himself to eat more which made him vomit, he wouldn't buy clothes which would stick to his skin, he only wore oversized clothes to hide his body, he avoided mirrors, he believed that somehow he is incomplete.
One afternoon he went to the beach with his family，he was hesitant to take off his shirt then he noticed a man with scars across his chest, he was not hesitant at all. That man was having fun with his family and playing with the kids in ease. He did not bother to hide his scars, he was simply living like a normal person. That moment changed something inside Jaemin. Instead of waiting for anyone's approval, he started taking care of himself but not to meet anyone's expectations. He stopped forcing himself to eat, instead he started to follow a healthy diet. People didn't quit criticizing overnight but their opinion no longer controlled him.
One year later, a younger boy quietly admitted, "I wish I had your confidence." Jaemin smiled, because he realized acceptance was about accepting his true self. A person's worth can never be measured by the numbers on a scale. For the first time in years, he stood tall because his heart finally had changed.
Credits:
thumbnail is ai generated with chatgpt.
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