As a kid, meeting someone new often sent my heart racing. You see, I worried they'd judge me by the scars on my face, the burns on my arms, or the fingers that were no longer there.

My mom- always able to read her kids' thoughts and then directly coach them up- observed my pained hesitation when meeting new people. One day she knelt down, looked me in the eye, and shared life-changing wisdom. Let me explain.