Perfectly Imperfect, Just Like a Seashell
I love shells. It's more than love, it’s a passion because their value for me goes beyond the shell itself. I could shell for hours upon hours looking for that special shell that catches my eye in the millions of piles of unique shells covering the beaches of Sanibel, Florida, the shelling capital of the world. So many different shells find their way onto the shore, showing off many colors and textures. Every seashell, broken or not, is perfectly imperfect, embracing its flaws and beauty. That is why I love shells; each shell is nothing like the rest. They are unique treasures holding their own story and beauty, just like humans.
I have been traveling back and forth from Sanibel, Florida visiting my grandmother for the past 17 years. Even at a young age, I came back with bags full of sand and shells that sparked my interest because of their unique appearance and beauty. Even at the age of 7, I found myself in the local paper for my shelling treasures, a slightly broken alphabet cone and angel wing, both rare finds on the island. When I go on that beach , my main mission is to find those unique shells that catch my eye. When I find those certain shells, it puts me in a shell-focused mindset that keeps my feet walking down the beach as if nothing can take me away. I lose all track of time, lost in the beauty that the earth has created and shared with beachgoers like me.
The sandy shores offer a wide variety of shells such as Florida cones, cat paws, murexes, coquinas, sand dollars, and assorted scallop shells. My favorite shell in my collection is my bright orange horse conch. It is an average sized shell with some flaws, but the coloring of the shell shines so bright even a storm couldn't dull its glow. I've never seen another shell like it, and I have a lot of shells. That's the cool thing about seashells, none are the same. Some are whole and undisturbed, while others embrace their flaws from the different storms they have encountered. Just like shells, we each go through our own individual storms while staying strong and letting these difficulties build us and add to our story. I am like a seashell and you are too. We are all one of a kind, grown in different ways, holding our own individual flaws, but remaining unique to ourselves, embodying our imperfectly perfect identities.
I think that I am like that orange horse conch. I am not perfect. I have battled with anxiety, depression, hardships, and dealt with great losses in my life. However, these obstacles only made me stronger and added to my story just like the ocean does for shells. I am imperfectly perfect with my rough edges while continuing to stay bright. This realization has taught me to share the wisdom that shells have given me to embrace my flaws with others. I hope we all can celebrate our so-called “flaws” and find beauty in them, as I do with shells.
