Growing up, I often felt like the world was unkind to me because of my dark skin tone. Whenever I smiled, people would comment on how visible my teeth were against my skin. What began as casual remarks soon turned into teasing that made me feel small and excluded.

It wasn’t just strangers or peers—my own grandparents would often voice their concerns about my future. They’d say things like, “It will be tough to find you a life partner. We’ll need more jewels and money to make someone agree to marry you and look at your cousins there life will be settled soon with a foreign partner” Their words, repeated so often, started to weigh on me. I began to believe that my worth depended on things I couldn’t control, and my confidence took a hit.

When I joined college, things started to change. One of my close friends would often tell me, “You look so pretty when you laugh and show your teeth.” At first, I thought it was just another way of teasing me, like so many others had done. But my friend kept saying it, sincerely and consistently.

One day, I watched a video of myself. In that video, I was laughing openly, showing my teeth without a second thought. For the first time, I saw myself through a different lens—I saw beauty in my smile, in my laughter, in me.

From that moment, I started to believe my friend. The discomfort I’d felt about showing my teeth when laughing faded away. The endless worry about how to become fair or the fear of not finding a partner no longer haunted me. I realized that my worth isn’t tied to my skin tone or anyone else’s opinion.

That day marked the beginning of a new chapter in my life—a chapter filled with confidence and self-acceptance. I no longer hide my smile. I laugh freely, knowing that I’m beautiful just the way I am. And as for finding a life partner, I know that when the time is right, someone will see me for who I truly am—inside and out.