Tattoo

When I saw this woman standing in line at Acre, the first thing I noticed was her unusual tattoo. Chemotherapy has robbed her of all her hair, but she has found a way to look strong and beautiful. I was reminded of two people in my life who have faced enormous challenges...

My sister-in-law Sharon also lost her hair to chemo for ovarian cancer. She eventually lost her life as well, but not without a valiant fight, trying every new trial and treatment to prolong her life just a little longer so that she could spend more time with her young daughters...OilMan's nieces Lindsay and Chelsey. When Sharon knew she was going to lose her hair, Lindsay shaved her head. She was 18 and volunteered serving meals in a retirement home. When a group of seniors asked her, "What does your mother think of your haircut? " she replied, "My mother has the same haircut."

My granddaughter Julia is also 18 and she is  profoundly deaf due to complications from a difficult birth. She just graduated from high school and I was honored to be able to read her college essay. With her permission, I am quoting her here:

The two scars behind each of my ears represent the two worlds I live in. As a result of my birth I am deaf and need a cochlear implant to hear. I spend my days in the hearing world which allows me to be like everyone else, but I am not. I go back to the deaf world every time I go swimming, take a shower or go to sleep. In the mornings, I often delay reentering the hearing world, so I can be in a quiet space for a bit longer. The hearing world can be  tiring.

These markings don't define me but they tell the story of my life. It reminds me of my difficult beginning and who I am now....My scars have helped me develop my own philosophy in life: I don't hide my problems but I don't lead with them either. I embrace my faults and struggles while also not  using them as excuses. I don't want to be judged and I don't judge others....

When she turned 18, Julia got a tattoo....a line from Maya Angelou's poem...and still I rise.

I am in awe of my granddaughter, my sister-in -law and her daughter, and this stranger in a coffee shop who found ways to embrace what most of us would call their hardships, rise above them, and use them to become more beautiful people.