It was an ordinary winter day. I was in first grade, and my friend Katelyn was in second. We were constructing heaps of snow into an igloo when we heard a powerful bark. A dog I didn't know was wandering in the woods behind my house. I hiked up my snow pants and trudged through the bulky, sopping snow; Katelyn followed. When we finally reached the dog, I held my hand out for the name tag on his collar. That's when he sprang onto my shoulders, bit my face, and ran off into the woods.

“We have to take him home,” I insisted. Katelyn just looked at me, cried, and ran off. With blood streaming down my face, I stood there alone. I noticed my once purple and blue jacket was now red.

I sprinted home as fast as I could, threw open the door, and screamed for my parents. They immediately called 911 – and that's when I blacked out.

My wounds were stitched, and they healed. But when I went out in public the next week, people stared. I've had to get accustomed to that.

Thirty stitches and two surgeries later, I'm okay. But the scars that remain led to bullying. I was told that my scars looked like a centipede on my face, that I had rabies, that I would turn into a dog. The people I surrounded myself with didn't allow the negative comments to get to me; they always told me, “You have it easy compared to other kids in the world.” I knew they were right. I was lucky then, and I'm even luckier today to have learned how to deal with tremendous heaps of negativity.

I still have an obsession with dogs. People still stare at my scars and ask questions, and yeah, some people taunt me about them. Meeting new people can be difficult because I see them look at my scars. Often they ask what happened. I explain the story and they try to sympathize, but I don't need anyone to sympathize with me. They should save their condolences for war veterans, soldiers fighting overseas, and people without homes. So many have had worse experiences than me, and they are the ones who need our sympathy and help.

I'm thankful for these scars. They have taught me to laugh at myself, stand up for other people, and persevere through tough times.