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.