I never realized the importance of my hair to my self-esteem and my general overall outlook on life — until I lost it all during chemotherapy. Who was this strange, bald woman with no hair, no eyelashes or eyebrows staring back at me in the mirror? Who was I really?
Shaken to the core one morning , before I began wearing different wigs and playing with life, I decided to go to the beach to connect with nature and breathe in the fresh salt air to clear my mind. I rummaged through the drawer looking for a scarf, wrapped it around my head, tied it deftly to the side and then, for good measure, I put on a huge sunhat that covered my whole head. That should do it I thought. No one will notice that I have no hair.
It was a hot, humid day, even at the beach, and I welcomed the cool water as the waves gently lapped at my bare feet. Bare feet, bare head, I thought. Poor me.
I shuffled along the shore dragging my feet in the sand when I saw a young girl, about 10 or 12 years old, running gleefully down to the water, then screaming and yelping as the waves enfolded her. Back she ran, her glistening face beaming with delight. Only to run back to the water’s edge again. Back and forth she ran, dancing with delight. And then I noticed.
She was bald.
No hat, no scarf, no nothing– Only the true soul of a young girl experiencing the joy and beauty in life. I stopped dead in my tracks and just watched her, drinking in every bit of glee and playfulness that flowed out from her. And I got it.
My angel on the beach, that little girl, demonstrated two powerful lessons to me that day, and she never knew it. First, this “me” right now, the one with no hair, was not just a body defined by my appearance, but a free and living spirit of life meant to experience ALL of life with true abandonment. Second, you never how you will impact another person’s life just by being you. I am forever grateful.
Let your Lola out!
Diane
#breastcancer #pinkribbon
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