Hair_Loss

A few days ago a friend of LucyAnn's came over to cut her hair short, as a kind of first step toward adjusting to actually shaving her head. She will lose her hair very soon due to the chemo treatments and she wanted a little time to get used to the hair loss. On the surface the mood was upbeat and light, her friends laughing and commenting on how different and beautiful she looked (she did). There was talk about wigs and scarves and hats and how cute she would look wearing them (she would).

But as I watched her friend cut through the layers of LucyAnn's hair,I felt the presence of other layers; of loss, spoken and acknowledged in silence. Loss of control, loss of a sense of identity, loss of familiarity. I was reminded that the loss of one's hair, especially if it's not of your choosing, is a big deal. It is a deeply emotional life event not to be taken lightly; one that involves grieving and acknowledging its importance. What a privilege to witness this life event with LucyAnn.