LATE NIGHT THOUGHTS

when i was 11, i expressed to my father that i hated the gap between my teeth. he proceeded to tell me that i should appreciate it because it is a “sex symbol.” this statement caused me to hate my gap even more. every time i would look at my gap, it was just another reminder of the perverted, un-called for shit that he did and said. a reminder that this world sexualizes the simplest things about a woman – an 11 year old girl. my teeth are sexual? why is this something that 11 year old me should be grateful for? 20 year old me? i could never look at my gap and be grateful. still working on being grateful. not because it is a “sex symbol.” but because it is a part of me.