One little drop of confidence

Assalamualaikum

There was this complex that I have where I cover my mouth when I laugh, as long as it stays hidden. Unknown to me, I ended up liking people who have straight white teeth, doesn't matter if it's through surgical or braces or anything, as long as they're perfectly straight white teeth, I just enjoy looking at them.

For quite some time, I never laugh loudly as I want, I never smile as widely as others does.
All I wanted to do was hide them, so that no one can sees them, so that no one can think they're ugly. Let me be the only person who sees how ugly they were, at least that was what I thought.

Then, one day, my younger sister told me "you look pretty when you smile and show your teeth like that", and even though it comes from a family member, someone who should love you and look at you as pretty whenever wherever, that one sentence gave me confidence and I started laughing loudly as others does, and I also started smiling as widely as others does, which also makes me as happy as others are.

For as long as I lived, no one ever talk about my smile or my laugh but when I started changing how I laugh and how I smile because of that one word from my sister, I ended up laughing and smiling happily and a few weeks ago, a friend from Thailand told me,
"I like how you smile in pictures, your eyes always look happy"

 I've never really get direct compliments before and I was dumbfounded by it, I don't even know whether I should thank her or not but I just did so.

Then I realize that to be happy, I should first accept myself for who I am, so that I can let others accept me for who I am as well.
I come as a whole package, take it or leave it.
If I can't like the package that I come with, who would like them?
If you only like this part of me and does not like the other part of me, be it.
A true friend accepts you for who you are, in your prettiest of time and when you're the ugliest.

I know this post sounds like I'm saying you need compliments to build yourself up, but no, that's not what i'm saying. What I'm saying is that, you don't know what a word you said just for the sake of saying, can help or bring people down. Choose your words wisely, it might help or kill someone.
Words are the most powerful weapon on earth, use them wisely.