Add to the Beauty

Man, I looked beautiful today! I had on the most elegant hat - I would have been a standout guest at that pretty girl's wedding, and they would have compared ME to Grace Kelly.

I also looked like a call girl, a fluffy haired hippie and Austin Powers, baby!

I was attending the Look Good Feel Better workshop, where wonderfully kind, beauty trained ladies of advanced experience volunteer their time to help women undergoing chemotherapy gain control over their skin care, make up and head coverings.

A kind, well made up lady, who was actually there to support her mother took one look at me, who has no clue as to the difference between blusher and foundation, and decided I needed help. She abandoned her mother and took me over, ensuring I had the right colour foundation by raiding the spaces where ladies hadn't turned up. With the 3rd try I was amazed at the difference it makes to cover up that multitude of uneven, reddish patches and the little veins/capillaries that have blossomed on my nose and cheeks these last few years.

The lovely lady sitting next to me, whipped her pretty tea cosy off her head as soon as they told us to get stuck into the makeup, and soon one by one we all took off hats, scarves, wigs and teacosies to reveal our bald or balding heads. A few women who had only just started treatment were aghast momentarily, and naturally curious, but it must have been a bit of a shock for them to think, "that'll be me next week."

The make-up session was followed by a hats, coverings and wigs workshop. A hairdresser with a great sense of humour presented, and I got to be a model for the hats and wigs . I have a tiny petite head. I do not have "the big head". It is not a simple thing to fit a wig for a bald head - a lot of adjustments have to be made, including wearing padding under the wig and getting it cut to thin it out and make it more natural looking. After telling us that wigs are available in the Spare Parts department of the hospital - where we can also get other bits and bobs (pointing to her chest) - she told us the story of a nun who came to her salon to have her wig evened out. In chatting about hair loss, the nun alluded to hair loss in other parts of the body." Nobody told me, she complained, how COLD it would be!" Obviously, the wind was getting up her habit! " Never mind" said the hairdresser - at least you can tell all your Sisters what having a Brazilian feels like!"

All the wigs were huge on me, and covered half my face, but the dark auburn one which poufed above my forehead and curved onto my cheekbones was pure Austin Powers - amazing what a change colour and style and AMOUNT of hair can do to ones appearance! The long blonde wig proved that God got my colouring right when he gave me blonde hair, but the very long style, with big fringe, is also definitely not me!. The hairdresser advised against getting such a long haired wig in Tassie - apparently the synthetic long wigs swish prettily as we walk, but at the same time create friction against layers of clothing in the dry winter air. I imagined myself walking along tossing my head of long golden locks and giving little hops each time I shocked myself. I took the wig off - definitely a hat and scarf girl!

The group of women (about 25 of us) showed that cancer does not discriminate in age or culture. I met some beautiful ladies today, and a couple of supportive daughters. Looking across at other ladies with bald heads, I saw true beauty, with nothing hidden. A head is a beautiful body part - not one bald woman looked ugly. I saw strong cheekbones and determined chins, expressive and shining eyes, and tears, discomfort, and willingness to settle for less, to appear acceptable in society. I saw relief as the hairdresser made adjustments, gave advice and shared a headband which gave immediate comfort. Solutions to little difficulties that just added to the devastation, were simple and easily achieved once we were shown how. I saw bravery, and spoke to a woman who, after working through her first 2 treatments decided, enough! She will rest and give herself time to recover, and now she will put a headband under her wig and look good and feel a lot better.

A song by Sara Groves, has these words:

(I want to...) add to the beauty, to tell a better story. ... it comes in loving community... in helping a soul find it's worth. This is Grace: an invitation to be beautiful...and I want to add to the beauty..

The Grace of God is a gift freely given, and a beautiful glimpse of His grace was seen today in the graciousness of the women who helped us look good and feel better, and in the faces of the scared, tearful, smiling, stoic, openhearted women who are on the way to getting better, on the way to Best.