On this World Vitiligo Day, I feel incredibly grateful for the skin I once tried to hide.
Twelve years ago, I didn’t imagine this as a possibility.
10-year-old D’Yonna hid her spots under long sleeves and pants.
15-year-old D’Yonna wanted a skin graft to conceal her differences.
20-year-old D’Yonna considered semi-permanent makeup to blend in.
But today’s D’Yonna is thankful for the powerful lessons that vitiligo has gifted her.
Vitiligo expanded my perspective on what it means to trust in something greater. It wasn’t something I wanted, but it was given to prepare me for what I asked for.
When I asked for confidence, vitiligo taught me how to be seen.
When I asked for beauty, vitiligo revealed that it lives within.
When I asked for impact, vitiligo gave me the courage to use my voice in service to others.
I now see that blessings come in all forms. Even when your prayers are answered with disappointment, discomfort, or detours, life is always delivering what you need.
Sometimes you get the tools to create what you’ve asked for.
Other times, you’re given an opportunity to build the mindset and character needed to prepare for it. Everything we receive has value, but we must be willing to look at it through a different lens.
I’ve lived with vitiligo for over 20 years, and every year I uncover deeper lessons that it has come to teach me.
To truly embrace this journey, I’ve had to surrender by releasing the expectations of how it should look or feel, and trusting that I’m always receiving exactly what I need to grow, evolve, and thrive.
When you realize that what’s meant for you will never miss you, it becomes much easier to trust the path as it unfolds.
Thank you, vitiligo, for arriving uninvited, and becoming one of the greatest gifts I didn’t know I needed.