When I had long hair, did I wake up every morning and as part of my morning prayer, thank God for my thick, wavy, healthy hair?  Um, no.  I should have, but I didn't.

In fact, quite the opposite---I completely abused my hair!  I've had it chin-length to almost-waist-length, and everything in between.  I've had highlights, lowlights, brown, blonde, and green (oops).  I've curled it, straightened it, crimped it, over-hair-sprayed it, complained about it, and in, recent years, yanked it back into a pony tail and some days I didn't even bother to wash it. 

This morning I woke up and for those first few moments felt like the "old" me.  I could have sworn that I had long hair stretched out across my pillow.  For five full seconds, until I reached my hand up to my head, my long, blonde hair was there.  And oh, how sad I was when I was reminded that no, I have very short, reddish brown hair now.  It's maybe an inch and a half long all over.  But then, again, as always, I was reminded of what a blessing it is that I even HAVE hair, That it grew back to cover my enormous scar, and how silly it is, that in the scheme of all I've been through, that I was momentarily sad about hair, of all things.  There are bigger problems, Jules, there are bigger problems!

Short hair is an excuse to wear bigger earrings, I think.  :)
xoxo
Julie

For more ideas on post-chemo/treatment hair, see my Pinterest board "It will grow back": click here

When I was first diagnosed, I started a quote board in my kitchen, and my lovely Moms club friends later gave me a jar full of little slips of paper with quotes on it too, and now and then I pull out a new one. Some are a little more serious, some are funny.  I'll be sure to share my favorites here on the blog.  I also keep a board on Pinterest of favorites---we are under the username CradledCarried.
For today a couple that make me smile:
"Be the kind of woman that when your feet hit the floor in the morning
the devil says,
 "Oh crap.  She's up."
and
"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
Except for bears.
Bears will kill you."
:)

Here it is 10 PM (I know, that's probably really not that late to some of you!), and instead of going out, or watching TV, I've spent the last hour and a half going in, then back in, then in again, to my children's rooms. 

"I have to go potty!" one yelled.
"I need a drink!" one yelled.
"Waaaaa!" one yelled.  (She's only 5 months old.) :0)
"My hangnail REALLY hurts!" the first one yelled again. (Seriously, I couldn't make this stuff up!)

Yes, it has been a little frustrating, and I did have to use my "Mommy" voice, but at the same time, it's different than it used to be.  I am so glad, even after a very frustrating day like today, to be their Mommy, and to be here with them.  It's WAY better than any club I went to back in the day.  :)

xoxo
Julie