I am most drawn to these that have the markings of a difficult life, passing over the perfect ones that look like they could be purchased in a store. The unique imperfection of the one in my hand has a story that reveals the delicate inside where a life once lived. It has been tossed around on its journey through the sea and landed with it's insides exposed, the thick outer covering worn back enough to see a glimpse of what lies at the center. It is in the experience of weathering storms, traveling far, and having parts of you peeled away to reveal what's inside, that creates true beauty and strength. Surviving distress and emerging beautiful.

Its distressed magnificence holds wonder to me. Knowing that when faced with distress you allow the deeper parts of yourself to emerge and your courage to shine through. Pressure creating the cracking of some parts and wearing thin of others forges resilience. The truth is that we are all covered up in scars. The wounded places in us hold our greatest beauty like the worn, pitted brilliance of a shell washed up on the shore after its journey through the wild surf.