GI Jane

This morning on the Today Show, there was a story about a woman with Breast Cancer.  Her treatment involved chemo, and the requisite losing of hair.  She decided to take matters into her own hands and have a 'head shaving party.'  

As a career Event Planner, I believe that just about any reason is reason enough for a party.  Except this one.  This event as an actual party, was wildly unappealing on so many levels.  Still, I watched.

The morose party shuffled in and got comfortable as the shears came out and the hostess took her seat.  Knowing I am about to undergo this same fate - the shaving my head part - not the party-about-it part, I was interested to see what this might look and feel Iike.  

I was totally composed watching the whole thing go down, until she got up, walked by the mirror and cried.  I lost it.  I have cried since being diagnosed, in one to two minute increments, but not like at that moment - lost IT!  This was such a deep, undeniably sad moment, the moment of absolute LOSS.  Not about to happen loss, not someday loss, but it-is- finished kind of loss.  Ugh!

Then it was over.  I pulled it together and thought, 'quit being such a victim.'.  As India Arie wisely points out in her music - I am not my hair!  As I point out to my (incredibly beautiful-inside and out) daughters, beauty comes from the inside!  What the heck - it's gonna grow back, and in the meantime, I'm gonna get me some sweet hats and scarves!  

I also decided that I was gonna be more GI Jane than cancer-girl!  I do love me a good girl-power movie, what is better than Demi Moore giving everything she's got to be a Navy Seal?  You Go Girl!!!  She shaved her own damn head-without tears, regret, or an audience.  She did it because it was going to make her stronger, faster, undistracted, and a better warrior in a fight she wanted to win.

My head shaving will be in a week or two.  My brother-in-law has promised to come along, and in an impressive show of solidarity, shave his head too.  All of this just in time for Halloween.  I was thinking of going as a Hare Krishna, but now I am definitely thinking GI jANNe.