But I know, for each of us, there's someone else out there who thinks of us as a perfect star.
So to those who cry themselves to sleep every night because of something someone said to you, stay strong.
And to those who feel good about making others feel worthless,
Perfect Stars
Once upon a time, I met a man. He was old and tall. He was wearing a bright green suit and a green top hat. The hat had a shiny, gold star pinned to it.
His entire outfit was bright, though everything about him was dark; his hair, his skin, and his eyes. It made me smile inside.
He smiled and kneeled so he was eye-level with me. I saw concern in his eyes as he asked why I seemed so sad.
I was a young girl of five and didn't know not to talk to strangers so I answered, "A boy from school said I was ugly."
He looked shocked and replied, "No!"
I nodded sadly and looked down, "The other kids said I was ugly so it must be true."
He lifted my head and looked into my eyes with the most sincere expression I had ever seen and said to me in a soft, comforting voice," You know that's not true. You are a beautiful person; ugly doesn't exist in this world."
I smiled a little before returning to sorrow, "But everyone at school says that I am."
He shook his head slightly and looked down as if he was thinking. After a short moment, he reached up and took the star off of his hat. He smiled at me and put it in my hands.
"No matter who says you're ugly or dumb or mean, I will always think of you as perfect," he whispered, holding my small hands in his big ones.
He left right after, leaving me with the star, waiting for my mom to say it was time to go. I stared at the star the whole time and smiled.
Through the years, the star made me smile. When I lost the spelling bee, when I broke up with my first boyfriend, and when I had a fight with my best friend for the first time I would look at the star and heard him saying, "I will always think of you as perfect."
I grew up, got married, and had a little girl of my own. Life kept moving, but I never forgot about him or that little star; he was always with me.
One day, my daughter came home from school, crying. I asked her what was wrong and she said that a girl at school called her stupid. I immediately thought of the star.
She sat at the kitchen table and ate cookies and I got the star. I sat with her and told her the story of the man and showed her the star. I handed it to her and finished with, "No matter who says you're ugly or stupid or mean, I will always think of you as perfect.
His entire outfit was bright, though everything about him was dark; his hair, his skin, and his eyes. It made me smile inside.
He smiled and kneeled so he was eye-level with me. I saw concern in his eyes as he asked why I seemed so sad.
I was a young girl of five and didn't know not to talk to strangers so I answered, "A boy from school said I was ugly."
He looked shocked and replied, "No!"
I nodded sadly and looked down, "The other kids said I was ugly so it must be true."
He lifted my head and looked into my eyes with the most sincere expression I had ever seen and said to me in a soft, comforting voice," You know that's not true. You are a beautiful person; ugly doesn't exist in this world."
I smiled a little before returning to sorrow, "But everyone at school says that I am."
He shook his head slightly and looked down as if he was thinking. After a short moment, he reached up and took the star off of his hat. He smiled at me and put it in my hands.
"No matter who says you're ugly or dumb or mean, I will always think of you as perfect," he whispered, holding my small hands in his big ones.
He left right after, leaving me with the star, waiting for my mom to say it was time to go. I stared at the star the whole time and smiled.
Through the years, the star made me smile. When I lost the spelling bee, when I broke up with my first boyfriend, and when I had a fight with my best friend for the first time I would look at the star and heard him saying, "I will always think of you as perfect."
I grew up, got married, and had a little girl of my own. Life kept moving, but I never forgot about him or that little star; he was always with me.
One day, my daughter came home from school, crying. I asked her what was wrong and she said that a girl at school called her stupid. I immediately thought of the star.
She sat at the kitchen table and ate cookies and I got the star. I sat with her and told her the story of the man and showed her the star. I handed it to her and finished with, "No matter who says you're ugly or stupid or mean, I will always think of you as perfect.
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