My Color, Does it Really Matter?

 I posted in FB something about a friend who simply asked me if I am not bothered by my dark color and I got good reactions from my FB friends. Thank you. I am  not really bothered and in fact it even amuses me.

It is not only in the Philippines but in Asian countries where majority of people especially women think that having a fair or white skin is beautiful. I remember when I was in Manila living in a boarding house, our landlady used to put a lot of cream all over her body to whiten her skin over the weekend while me and my two officemates would spend a weekend  getaway in Puerto Galera's beach resort. I always remember when I arrived home so dark and she would say, "oh , my goodness, how neggy can you be." I didn't really mind her. I just laughed.

When we were in Seoul, South Korea, I was in a tennis club with purely Korean members. I was the only foreigner in that group and I really enjoyed it.  People were so really nice and I was accepted in the  group. Women players were all covered even at the middle of the sun. Only the eyes could be seen afraid of getting a sunburn. Women would wear short skirts but with stockings underneath.. As for me, I wore the usual tennis outfit. And the girls woud say in their very limited English..."Oh, you are black." But the guys would say...."No, she's healthy."  I loved those guys!

About two years ago, Philippe and I went to Thailand and part of the excursion made during our holiday was to go to Burma close to the Thai border. We had seen both men and women even children wearing  thick white cream on their faces. I asked our guide what was that for. And he said, it's to whiten their  faces.

I have a beautiful cousin. She's about my age and she's got "kayumanggi" skin like me. During my last trip in the Philippines, we went to the grocery store and I told her to pick anything she likes for herself as I didn't have anything for her. She happily took one big bottle of whitening lotion and bar soaps. She was very grateful. That day, I made someone happy.
Each time I go home in the Philippines, people would say...."You seem like you don't come from abroad". They think that once you live abroad, it makes your skin fairer. Only lately, when we had our high school reunion, one of our batchmates said..."Which part on earth do you come from? Why are you so dark?"

I told them that at the moment I live in Tahiti and the weather is just like in the Philippines and I am exposed to sunlight everyday because I play tennis and we live close to the sea. That explains everything.

There are many countless instances where people would have commented of my color. Some would compliment me, some don't. But my number one admirer is my crazy husband. He is so jealous of me.

This is really ironic when we come to think that Asian women spend so much money buying whitening stuff to keep their skin white and the white people would spend so much money to keep their skin tan.

It reminds me of something like....people who got curly hair would want it straight and people with straight hair would want it curly. And those with blond hair to keep it dark and dark hair to keep it blond. Isn't it  crazy? Why are  we not contented with what we have?

I am what I am and I don't think color really matters. What is the most important is what is within your heart. That is what counts most. When you are good inside,  it reflects outside. And that makes a person beautiful.

Life is too short to worry of those meaningless things. White, black, brown, yellow, red and or mixed.....each of us is unique and one thing that we should be thankful for is that we are all  equal and created before the image of our God. And that we need not argue anymore. The topic is closed.