Smile!
I wear braces. And it's not something I am ashamed of. Teenagers tend to hide their beautiful metal, and adults like to erase the pictures of their metal-wearing days. But I wear them proudly.
Growing up watching the Disney princesses, I was taught that while things are hard now, if I stay true to myself things will get better. I wished to know, not that there's a prince charming for me, but that there's a future where all the bad things won't matter anymore. Cinderella sat around wishing for this change to come instead of going out and changing it herself. I criticize her for that. But when given the opportunity, she took it. She knew she could get in big trouble by her step-family if they knew what she had gone to the ball, but she also knew her future was not something that should be dictated by others. When she put on the glass slippers, she took the risk, and found the reward to be better than any future she imagined.
Braces, in a way, are my glass slippers. On the surface, I know they're going to pay off and create a better future. On a deeper level, they're mine and mine alone. I have a big family and there's nothing we don't share: recipes, pictures, secrets, you name it. But braces is something just for me. While many of us have had braces and can share stories, my experience differs from another's. And the effects of the braces will affect only me.
Before you call me selfish, let me tell you something: the day before my 18th birthday, I had my four wisdom teeth extracted. The following day, despite the pain medication I was on, I had to take my chemistry final exam, which I didn't do so well on. My face was swollen, I could barely talk, couldn't drink from a straw, and was only allowed to eat the broth from soup. My baby brother kept asking me to play with him and it saddened me every time I said no because I couldn't put my head down or lift him. Despite all this, I consider this to be the greatest birthday present.
You see, since the growth of my permanent teeth, I've never had a picture of myself with a really nice smile. I've always dreamed of having that one perfect portrait. But now I have my moment. I get to spend two years with braces in exchange for a lifetime of not having to be insecure about my teeth. I will smile without having to worry about what others think about the canines jutting out of my gums, or the overcrowding on my lower jaw. The future will be brighter, and the metal reflects my inner calmness.
I just spent the last hour downloading the holiday pictures from my camera to my computer and couldn't help but notice how confident my smile appears. For those of you who don't know me, I love to smile. I smile all the time. Mom says even in my sleep. My orthodontist nicknamed me "smiley". So I want to smile to you (virtually) and tell you why I like smiling, and you should too, even if you wear braces but don't like how you look:
1. It causes a release of endorphins, which helps relive stress
2. It lowers blood pressure
3. It may cause laughter, which boosts your immune system
4. It's a symbol of positivity.
5. Smiling is the only gift you can give and still keep.
I want to focus on #5 for a moment because it's very important to me. When you smile, you're brightening someone else's day. Even if you don't know the person and they give you an odd look, chances are they won't forget how genuinely you smiled at them and they'll want to reciprocate the same good feeling they felt to someone else. From my point of view, your smile might be the only good thing that happened to them that day. So why not smile? You lose nothing in the process but you gain everything in return.
Have you ever had braces? Think back to that time. What was the most positive experience you had while wearing the metal?
Growing up watching the Disney princesses, I was taught that while things are hard now, if I stay true to myself things will get better. I wished to know, not that there's a prince charming for me, but that there's a future where all the bad things won't matter anymore. Cinderella sat around wishing for this change to come instead of going out and changing it herself. I criticize her for that. But when given the opportunity, she took it. She knew she could get in big trouble by her step-family if they knew what she had gone to the ball, but she also knew her future was not something that should be dictated by others. When she put on the glass slippers, she took the risk, and found the reward to be better than any future she imagined.
Braces, in a way, are my glass slippers. On the surface, I know they're going to pay off and create a better future. On a deeper level, they're mine and mine alone. I have a big family and there's nothing we don't share: recipes, pictures, secrets, you name it. But braces is something just for me. While many of us have had braces and can share stories, my experience differs from another's. And the effects of the braces will affect only me.
Before you call me selfish, let me tell you something: the day before my 18th birthday, I had my four wisdom teeth extracted. The following day, despite the pain medication I was on, I had to take my chemistry final exam, which I didn't do so well on. My face was swollen, I could barely talk, couldn't drink from a straw, and was only allowed to eat the broth from soup. My baby brother kept asking me to play with him and it saddened me every time I said no because I couldn't put my head down or lift him. Despite all this, I consider this to be the greatest birthday present.
You see, since the growth of my permanent teeth, I've never had a picture of myself with a really nice smile. I've always dreamed of having that one perfect portrait. But now I have my moment. I get to spend two years with braces in exchange for a lifetime of not having to be insecure about my teeth. I will smile without having to worry about what others think about the canines jutting out of my gums, or the overcrowding on my lower jaw. The future will be brighter, and the metal reflects my inner calmness.
I just spent the last hour downloading the holiday pictures from my camera to my computer and couldn't help but notice how confident my smile appears. For those of you who don't know me, I love to smile. I smile all the time. Mom says even in my sleep. My orthodontist nicknamed me "smiley". So I want to smile to you (virtually) and tell you why I like smiling, and you should too, even if you wear braces but don't like how you look:
1. It causes a release of endorphins, which helps relive stress
2. It lowers blood pressure
3. It may cause laughter, which boosts your immune system
4. It's a symbol of positivity.
5. Smiling is the only gift you can give and still keep.
I want to focus on #5 for a moment because it's very important to me. When you smile, you're brightening someone else's day. Even if you don't know the person and they give you an odd look, chances are they won't forget how genuinely you smiled at them and they'll want to reciprocate the same good feeling they felt to someone else. From my point of view, your smile might be the only good thing that happened to them that day. So why not smile? You lose nothing in the process but you gain everything in return.
Have you ever had braces? Think back to that time. What was the most positive experience you had while wearing the metal?
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