Masked Warrior

Here we are on the boat. Smiling. Relaxed. Grateful to be there.

Then someone online took a shot at my husband,  “remove the clown mask.”

I read the comment and was instantly peeved and wanted to delete it….but I thought about it and was reminded of how easy it is to judge what you don’t understand—and also how important it is to speak up with compassion and clarity.

I have a Master’s of Science in Nursing Education. I’ve spent years teaching others how to care, how to ask questions before making assumptions, the importance of remaining open-minded, and how to see the patient beyond the diagnosis. But even with all that, nothing prepares you quite like living it yourself.

So let me offer a little real-world education…

Beaver has been sick more than he’s been well these past few years. COVID nearly broke him. Since then, one diagnosis after another followed like an unbelievable, and exhausting, succession of health issues. Eventually, we found out he had a congenital heart defect that required open-heart surgery. On top of that, a tumor in his face required not one but two surgeries, leaving nerve damage behind.

Because of all this, he wears a mask in public. Not for show. Not for fun. But because it’s what his doctors strongly recommended, for now, to avoid further illness.

The surgical cap? For those who know him, know he’s a quirky dude, but this is not a quirky fashion choice. It’s there so he can hook his mask to buttons instead of his ears, which hurts like getting flicked with a cattle prod from the nerve damage. If you had surgery on your face and couldn’t wear a mask the usual way, you’d adapt too. He figured out a way to function that doesn’t cause pain.

 

That’s what warriors do.

So no, it’s not a clown mask.

It’s armor.

Armor worn by a guy who has faced many battles—yet still carries on with kindness, courage, and humor – though we suspect he’s more than likely sticking his tongue out at people under that mask, most days!

To the one who mocked him: I could have stayed quiet. But sometimes silence isn’t grace—it’s complicity. So, I chose to respond. Not with venom, but with truth. Because maybe—just maybe—someone else scrolling by that comment needed a reminder that compassion matters…

 

He must have gotten the message as he deleted his comment which subsequently deleted mine, which is just fine too!  Not sure what his takeaway is but here is mine: If someone is wearing a mask that you think is silly or stupid, LET THEM it isn’t hurting you. Or – I don’t know, get curious about it.  “Hey, why the mask?”

 

You never know what someone’s going through. You never know what they’ve survived just to be standing in a photo. And maybe instead of mocking them, you could try kindness. You might be surprised how much lighter your own burdens feel when you help someone else carry theirs.

As for us? We’ll keep standing together. Mask, cap, scars and all.

Because strength looks a little different on everyone.

I love you. Pass it on.

 #MaskedAndMighty #GraceOverIgnorance #ILYPIO