I have a sweet, sweet friend who is within two treatments of finishing chemo. She got her breast cancer diagnosis last fall and in December, she underwent her complete mastectomy. While we've spoken regularly on the phone, and chatted on Facebook, I haven't had much face-to-face time with her. She has three boys of her own, who bring home enough public school germs, without adding whatever I might have picked up from my precious germ magnets! I've seen her sneak into evening worship and then quickly sneak out...avoiding hugs and a lot of physical contact. So, imagine my great delight when she sashayed (that's what girls from WayDownSouth do...we sashay)into Sunday school this morning...AND sang in the choir with us!! I was pleased as punch!!! She had her wig on...which as such things go, it was very pretty...the color was nice and the style was very flattering...I know it's not her hair, but a complete stranger would have to look long and hard to make that determination.
She was sharing with us a little bit of this and that. When she lost her hair, she realized that she was going to have to make some changes...add make-up to her face to take the focus off of her head. She has a gorgeous complexion and I've never seen her in anything more than a bit of lip gloss and mascara...she's one of those lucky girls who can get away with not wearing any "war paint." That's what my Papa used to call it...hehehe. ANYWHOO....so another friend has helped her pick out make-up items and taught her how to use them. She also said that she realized she didn't have any bangle-type earrings. Her hair used to be long...one length and so, she just usually wore a simple pair of studs. Without her wig, when she wears a cap or a scarf, she said that none of her small earring seemed to work.
Earrings, or as they are called in WayDownSouth, earbobs. Mr. Snark likes to refer to my flashier variety as fishing lures. But something as simple as a pretty pair of earrings would make her feel beautiful. Unlike the ones that she's used to wearing and that's okay because there's a new definition of "normal" in her life and it's better to just accept the change instead of railing against it and wasting precious energy on "what used to be." So after lunch today, Y2 and I hit a couple of local stores...discount coupons in hand...to see what we could find. We hit a small mother lode at the first stop and picked up another couple of pairs at the second store. In total, we got ten pairs of earrings. TEN! And what I spent to buy them all wasn't anything of consequence. I probably spent less on this jewelry than some folks did on lunch this afternoon. And I was glad to do it.
Please don't think that I'm writing about this to "toot my own horn." Cancer (I HATE that word..I HATE that disease and I am thankful that it CAN'T exist in Heaven)has demanded that my friend and her family make a lot of sacrifices. In light of what forfeitures they have had to make...physical, mental, emotional, financial....what I've spent is a drop in the bucket. I'm not worried about that expense for one minute. There are things that I can give up to make it even out with our budget and will count it joy to do so. I can't walk this path for her. I would if I could. I can't take the pain from her or make it all go away. I would if I could. It's senseless to focus on the things that I can't do for her...completely futile. I'd rather zoom in on what I CAN do. I can pray. I can bring meals for her and the family. I can sit with her and let her talk...and talk to her about anything but cancer and being sick. I can make her laugh. I can help her as she tries to redefine "normal." And if something as simple as a handful of flashy earbobs will do it...well....y'all get outta my way as I head for the clearance rack!
Who knows? Maybe she'll pass these along to the next one who faces this battle. I pray to Jesus that none of us do...but I know it's likely that more in our circle will...and if so, we'll just commence another stage of Operation Dangle Bangle!
*BTW...some of you know who she is and I'll just thank you kindly not to mention this to her until I have a chance to give her the new earrings:)*
She was sharing with us a little bit of this and that. When she lost her hair, she realized that she was going to have to make some changes...add make-up to her face to take the focus off of her head. She has a gorgeous complexion and I've never seen her in anything more than a bit of lip gloss and mascara...she's one of those lucky girls who can get away with not wearing any "war paint." That's what my Papa used to call it...hehehe. ANYWHOO....so another friend has helped her pick out make-up items and taught her how to use them. She also said that she realized she didn't have any bangle-type earrings. Her hair used to be long...one length and so, she just usually wore a simple pair of studs. Without her wig, when she wears a cap or a scarf, she said that none of her small earring seemed to work.
Earrings, or as they are called in WayDownSouth, earbobs. Mr. Snark likes to refer to my flashier variety as fishing lures. But something as simple as a pretty pair of earrings would make her feel beautiful. Unlike the ones that she's used to wearing and that's okay because there's a new definition of "normal" in her life and it's better to just accept the change instead of railing against it and wasting precious energy on "what used to be." So after lunch today, Y2 and I hit a couple of local stores...discount coupons in hand...to see what we could find. We hit a small mother lode at the first stop and picked up another couple of pairs at the second store. In total, we got ten pairs of earrings. TEN! And what I spent to buy them all wasn't anything of consequence. I probably spent less on this jewelry than some folks did on lunch this afternoon. And I was glad to do it.
Please don't think that I'm writing about this to "toot my own horn." Cancer (I HATE that word..I HATE that disease and I am thankful that it CAN'T exist in Heaven)has demanded that my friend and her family make a lot of sacrifices. In light of what forfeitures they have had to make...physical, mental, emotional, financial....what I've spent is a drop in the bucket. I'm not worried about that expense for one minute. There are things that I can give up to make it even out with our budget and will count it joy to do so. I can't walk this path for her. I would if I could. I can't take the pain from her or make it all go away. I would if I could. It's senseless to focus on the things that I can't do for her...completely futile. I'd rather zoom in on what I CAN do. I can pray. I can bring meals for her and the family. I can sit with her and let her talk...and talk to her about anything but cancer and being sick. I can make her laugh. I can help her as she tries to redefine "normal." And if something as simple as a handful of flashy earbobs will do it...well....y'all get outta my way as I head for the clearance rack!
Who knows? Maybe she'll pass these along to the next one who faces this battle. I pray to Jesus that none of us do...but I know it's likely that more in our circle will...and if so, we'll just commence another stage of Operation Dangle Bangle!
*BTW...some of you know who she is and I'll just thank you kindly not to mention this to her until I have a chance to give her the new earrings:)*
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