Old coins get worn smooth from being passed around. Being useful leaves marks. That’s not damage, that’s history.

Wear is evidence of use, not of failure. Anything that spends its life being handled ends up looking handled, and the smoothness is a record of where it has been rather than a fault to fix. You can stay pristine by keeping out of circulation, and that costs more than the marks would.

Notice your own wear this week without apologising for it. The callus, the tired Monday after a long shift, the patience you spent on someone who needed it. Those are not signs that you are falling apart. They are the receipts of a week spent on something real.