Curly Hope...Lots of Curly Hope!

I noticed her right away. Her head scarf. It was tied close at the nape of the neck and I could see no hint of wisps of hair. I knew she was bald. As in "chemo bald".

I'm not one to casually walk up to strangers but I did that today. I touched her lightly on the shoulder and said, "You know, six months ago I had a hairdo like that."

Her eyes went instantly to my curly mop of a hairdo and I knew she was looking for reassurance that she, too, would return to the land of hair.

She wasn't quite certain I wasn't wearing a wig so she asked if it were real.

"Oh, yes, it's real. And, no, my hair is not naturally curly."

Then she reached up to touch my fluffy curls and told her sis, who was with her, to do the same. My hair is really soft and bouncy and I laughed as they touched and patted. I knew she was wondering how long before she had hair again. Her chemo concludes in July.

"Two months," I said. "Two months after your last chemo, you'll begin to grow 'puppy fur'."

"Eyelashes, too?" she asked.

"Yes, eyelashes and brows."

I know she was excited to "see" where she will be in a few months time. Right now, in the midst of her treatments, in the midst of her baldness, it is difficult for her to see the end of the chemo and its effects and the beginning of the time "after". Seeing my head of bouncy curls gave her hope.

We hugged as I uttered into her ear, "God bless you. God bless you."

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