Inquisitive Tikes

Who do you relate with? Some are relate better with people their own age or elderly or teens, but I have discovered a new relational bond while having Alopecia Areata Universalis. This is going to sound really funny. I seem to have a unique connection with toddlers. From grocery stores to amusement parks, crying to inquisitive tikes, babies seem to stop in their tracks with a face of "she looks like me but she's so much bigger." There is something about the shared baldness that can make a crying baby stop or a thoughtful baby want to touch my head. Although I am a stranger, there seems to be some kind of unique connection. Maybe the balding trait is why babies love their grandfather's so much.

Family Viewing

The mourning of the death of my uncle brought on a rollercoaster week of family gatherings. We all flew in from different places to be together. My uncle had fought strongly against cancer for several years and it was time to celebrate his life.

Many close family members would see me for the first time without any hair. Although most of them had seen my little bald spots as a child and I did not know how they would react to my new look.

I chose to arrive with my wig and keep it on as much as possible in order not to remind anyone of the trials my uncle faced through chemotherapy treatments. When most people see someone with Alopecia Areata, they think that person is afflicted with cancer.

In private times with different family members, I would show off the beauty of my baldness. My family is so amazingly supportive and their words were so uplifting. In a beautiful way, this week I learned so much about life.