Day 95 Wear a Smile with that Hat

Tonight, I went to a Hat Party. Ever heard of one of those? I hadn't. 


This party was for a friend of mine going through chemotherapy for breast cancer. The idea is to wear a hat to the party and bring a hat or scarf gift for the friend to wear during the time that they've lost their hair. These hats can be practical or humorous. I noted that humor goes a very long way. Below is clip explaining it a bit with footage from a party.

While this seemed like a very sweet and endearing thing to do for a friend, I was a bit nervous about attending. First of all, while I know this woman, I don't know her as closely as the others there. It certainly doesn't mean that I care less, far from it! This just seems like such an intimate occasion, I wasn't sure if I belonged there. I care about her and her family, I would be more than happy to help out in any way, but above all, I don't want to make her uncomfortable. She deserves all the comfort possible. 


The other thing is, I'm not sure how I would have felt about this party if I had been in my friend's shoes. I would have loved having my family and friends there to support me and certainly would have appreciated all the effort, but would I want all eyes on me during a time when I don't look or feel like myself? I hope that I would be thrilled about it, but I also hope I never have to find out.


The party was a beautiful idea though. There was so much support, love, laughter and, for me, realization. I posted yesterday about a mall kiosk salesman degrading my hair with his condescension. I simply glared at him and went on, but now part of me would like to say "You know what, it's just hair! Get over it!" But, the other part of me thinks I would've been better off just ignoring him completely. After all, you learn what's important in life and that type of stuff shouldn't be high on my list. 


Now, I can't speak for our friend in regards to all that she's been going through, and to be honest, I wouldn't even have a clue about an ounce of her struggles, but I will attest to her grace under pressure, to her humor, and to how her bright eyes and smile light up the place. I've noticed that she's always smiling when I see her. Even in general conversation, she naturally carries a smile. That was her way before the cancer and it's still her way while beating cancer. I wonder if she realizes how much she smiles. What a wonderful habit, smiling... 


I thank the ladies who put together this event and I send much love and many well wishes to my friend who looked fan-freakin-tastic in all the varied hats. And to her I say "Smile girl, you're kicking cancer's ass!"