I Asked for Abs. I Got Scars.

Happy FridayReader!

Scars. They tell stories. Some can be fun. Some can be scary. And others are procedural. But they all tell a story.

I find scars beautiful as they weave these stories of our lives. They are reminders of our body’s natural reaction to trauma to heal itself. We all have scars. One of my dad’s childhood friends even had a “Scar-O-Meter” game where they would compare and rank each other’s scars on a scale of 1-10. They kept it going in their later years with their various major surgeries. Dad had a sweet one from a major knee surgery he had in his mid 40s that ranked around 8 or 9 if memory serves.

When I was about 7 years old, I was whittling a stick in the backyard near “the fort” with my newly acquired Swiss Army pocket knife. With one quick slip up, I inadvertently cut my left hand near the thumb and forefinger. It didn’t hurt, but it scared me a bit as the blood rushed out. I ran inside and mom washed it and popped a bandage on it. The wound healed up and left a scar right at my thumb that is still very visible today. I’ve got a snake tattoo right next to it now. I’ll notice it sometimes and it takes me back to that beautiful time of Gen X independence, the fort, riding Huffy bike all over the neighborhood, latch-key days, and He-Man and Scooby-Doo cartoons after school. In some cosmic way that scar continues to heal me when things get tough.

Of course not all wounds and scars have such a pleasant memory. Healing can take longer depending on the trauma and can go beyond just the physical body. Everything can go beautifully, without complications of which I am forever grateful. However, I have been dealing with post-surgery depression and anxiety which of course was unexpected. And so my healing process has been a bit rocky, though my body has physically all but healed up. I have six beautiful 1.5 inch scars on my belly now. I am slowly returning mentally as my body adjusts to life without a pile of kidney stones and chronic pain. Opening up about my mental health and surrounding myself with family and friends that understand has been incredibly beneficial for my healing. My wife and family have been impeccable with helping ground me when my anxiety and depression have hit me. I was able to do my first light workout this week which has all helped immensely. Plus it also doesn’t hurt that I have also been back in the studio this week working on my first painting of 2026 (I can’t wait to show you what’s been cooking!)

Add healing sprinkles,

Will

p.s. In celebration of scars and recuperation, Healing Patches are now available in the gift shop. Perfect for your skinned knee torn Levi’s, the blown-out elbow in your favorite flannel, or to simply spruce up your attire.

Healing Patches for your clothes… and maybe a little for you, too:

Wanna See My Stitches?