Hello, my friends, and welcome to the Live Inspired podcast Monday morning moments with John O'Leary.

I record these so you and I can begin our days and our weeks in awe and on fire with a burst of

inspiration. Got a little bit of that inspiration last week wanted to share it with you to start

our weeks right now. Here we go. Last week I enjoyed what's become one of my annual highlights

each summer. It's speaking at Midwest Children's Burn Camp.

The camp welcomes kids of all ages and from all walks of life. These kids share the enduring

bond of living with the scars of being burned and the longing for a place where they can be

fully accepted. They find that love at camp.

Despite the community fostered during that amazing week, though, these children know eventually camp

comes to an end. They must return to their homes. They've got to go back to the real world

waiting for them. One of the most

difficult aspects of being burned isn't the incredible physical pain of recovery? It's the

reminder of that time that remains embossed on the survivor's skin. The scars serve as a constant

reminder not only of the agonizing struggle we've endured,

but of how different we remain from others because of it.

For burn survivors, scars often make us feel less than.

It sets us apart, totally isolates us.

We seldom discuss this reality, but universally, we struggle with it.

In the sacred, safe space of camp, though, we can be honest. When I asked these campers, these kids,

what their biggest worry was, one that went around the room again and again and again. I heard this course.

I'm afraid of being bullied when I go back to school. I know people will make fun of how I look.

I'm worried that I'll be judged for what's on the outside. I think people will label me as a freak because I'm different.

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