Surprisingly Relevated Myself in the Mirror

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For weeks I've been creeping around this topic, had written a draft for a LOH Contest, discarded again. I saw the WE theme "Courage" the other day, but decided, courage is something else, it would be ridiculous to write about it now? Excuses over excuses came into my mind, nevertheless the topic came up again and again, because obviously it is important for me to write about it.

This WE now, Galen with the topic

What is one of the most surprising revelations you have discovered about yourself?

hit the mark because it just so absolutely fits. And here's the story:


Happy at the beach - 2007

"Beautiful Me"

The times I'm currently going through are indeed full of change. Change in terms of attitude towards myself, change in my view of what is really important to my life and what is not.
But the biggest inner change and realization happened a month ago and this started strangely enough on the day when the decision was made to shave off the hair that had become very thinning due to chemo.

I had sought advice beforehand. They said it is the best to listen to our inner voice, which solution would be helpful. I was also told that many women and also men cry when they (have to) take this step.
With me it was somehow different. Before it was annoying for days to be confronted always and everywhere with hair tufts and in any case it was clear, this can not go on this way.


best times with my dog - 2016

Except my teenage time with popper hairstyle I never had short hair. Mostly they were somewhere between bob and rather long hair.
To imagine myself without hair was difficult and for the first time I realized how incredibly important hair is to us. How much you identify with your hair, especially as a woman. I've always been rather a tomboyish type, rather fighting with the make-up and styling things, nevertheless it was important to me.

If the hair would be gone, how much of a woman would I still be?

Such questions kept me VERY busy for a few days, all my thoughts were only with those stupid hairs everywhere around me, but not on my head anymore. With the hair loss, however, I wasnt happy at all and when the moment came to shave them off, I was admittedly very nervous. Well, really very, very, very! nervous. We made two braids, because that seemed important to me at that moment and as you can see here, I looked very insecure in the camera:


not one of my best moments

After that - the still incomprehensible to me:
When I felt the razor as it was applied to the back of my head and drove along, I was overcome by a wave of relief. Yes you read correctly, relief! It just felt incredibly good. I had never been aware of what "weight" I had carried with me.

When it was completed and I looked in the mirror, I liked myself better than before. But most of all, I felt better. Worlds better!


right after shaving the hair

Now this is not to say that I never had good times before, quite the opposite. For most of my life, I felt very good. (Further up in the post are also photos inserted, which show these good times) But, from present view I recognize that these times were too often only dependent on external factors. Hairstyle, appearance, environment, life circumstances, etc.
Much of this is of course very important to live a nice and pleasant life, no question! Without a good environment and living conditions it can be difficult and it is important that we - as Galen always emphasizes in his post footers - design our own ideal life. That we choose how we would like to look, where and how we want to live in order to find our personal happiness.

Still, the last few weeks have made it much clearer to me that the most important thing is always to be yourself, to just really feel and see yourself, but also to be able to fully embrace and love that self that you are.
And as crazy as this may sound, the time I have felt the best with myself is now! Yes, now, in the middle of this health crisis, where I am of course often tired and weary, I feel at peace with myself.

At the beginning of the therapy I had expected many things, but this realization actually came as a complete surprise.

I am in a very nice WhatsApp group with women here from the region who also just have or had chemo, where people support each other with advice and action.
I told them that I do not quite understand why I suddenly feel so much better with baldness?
Among other supporting things, there came an answer that I will never forget, because it had happened to her quite the same and she summarized what I had previously experienced to the point in words, literally she said:

"When I looked in the mirror, I saw myself for the first time."

And that's exactly how it is, because "Naked" "Unadorned" "Unprotected" "True" you can look into your eyes and see the wonderful radiance of your soul in them.

It is a mystery how much we allow ourselves to be determined by appearances.

After all this wisdom, however, I also have some humor for you:


bad hair day - 2008

I have my bad days, yes - but I don't have Bad Hair Days anymore ;-) Yours, B.

WE Topic #152
all photos by @beeber
mostly translated with deepl.com (free version)

hive-168869 weekend-engagement baldhead hair innerblocks thoughtfuldailypost hive-engine vyb life woman
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88 comments
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Good to see there is a positive light at the end of the tunnel. I am often having very bad hair days. I wish you all the best Beeber and hope the therapy will be over soon and you can start the healing process.

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Haha Steve 😉 just shave them and the problem will be solved 😉
Oh, healing already started as it feels to me very positive
!ALIVE

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I hardly noticed.

Are those pawns on the second shelf behind you in that selfie and, top-top, what is that, a drum?

= }

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The frogs? Still couldnt decide wich of them to kiss and throw on the wall ;-)

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ahh yes the time that we wear 3/4 jeans :) where was that beach ?

Chemo is hard for you good to read that you have a whatsapp support group with people going through the same process, it's a lot easier to ask questions and get answers that way. I hope it brings positive results for you in the end , so that we can enjoy your company on hive and discord a lot longer .

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Thank you for the flowers 🥰
Italy
The group is great, some in the same stage, some already ful recoverd, very helpful. Hm, but no, it isnt that hard, mostly I feel normal

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that is good to hear, that you feel normal most of the time🌷

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(Edited)

I don't have much hair either, and I'm not embarrassed (in fact, my dad has lost it over the years 😁 ), but my older son is a bit embarrassed because he sees that it's hereditary and that he's probably going to get his turn too. 🤣
But don't you worry, they will grow it back eventually. Two of my friends have it after radiotherapy, and although it took longer ...

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Yes they will be back in fact some already started to grow a very little bit, but I dont worry about and your son also shouldnt
!ALIVE

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Take care mam, you are looking beautiful with shaved head too. Looks doesn't matter as long you do feel good from inside. Get well soon mam 💕🙏

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(Edited)

Finde deine Offenheit immer wie erfrischend!

"When I looked in the mirror, I saw myself for the first time."

Der Satz muss erstmal sacken. Kann mich da aber gut reindenken.
Dir weiterhin eine gute Genesung und Besserung.

!HUG
!LUV

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Ja, der Satz hat es in sich und immer wieder erstaunlich wie weit wir uns oft von unserem wahren ich entfernt haben.
Vielen lieben Dank !LUV

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Beautiful and powerful words. I love them, I love you, dear. ❤️
!LUV !HUG

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I'm quite attached to my hair. I'm not sure how I would react if I had to shave it off. But you are so right, what matters the most is being true to ourselves. Which is so much more than appearances.
You look really well and I wish you all the best on your journey xxx

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Hi, thank you very much.
As far as I know you out of your posts, you would deal very good with it, much easier than I, because you really live a true life, not so much caring about what "would be apropiate to society" ❤️
In dact, the moment something "needs" to be done this also makes it easier.
Anyway, I wish you never will have to make those thoughts and just be healthy and keep your hair !LUV

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You are so brave @beeber and that's what makes you so beautiful, hair or no hair. This is just a phase you're going through, once you finish your treatment you will regain your life again, with or without hair.

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Thank you dear ❤️ yes the hair will be back and the good insights I got within this time will stay too

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I can only imagine the emotions involved in this scenario as I've never been through it myself. I've seen other close to me go through it though and understand some of the emotions behind it.

We each need to be our genuine selves, and the best we can muster, and sometimes that takes courage as you well know.

Thanks for this great post, I appreciate your entry this week and am grateful you have supported the concept.

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Thank you, glad you like it, this time it was a real inner healing journey to pick up the topic.
Again and again, when I write for somebody else about somthing, I get a lot of good insights for myself too.

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Writing has the ability to teach us things as individuals, perspective on our thoughts and feelings I guess.

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Hair was an issue for me for a long time. I have always liked the tone of my hair but I have very curly hair and for many years I fought against it. At some point in my life, I accepted it as it is. And the fact that I often have bad hair days, hehe.

You look beautiful with and without hair because at the end of the day, we are a reflection of our soul and that is what we project. You are a strong and beautiful woman. 🌸

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Thank your dear !LUV
Its a strange thing, our hair and our relationship to. In fact its the same with clothes and make up, but the hair still is a part of us, wich probably makes it different.
Anyway, it will come back but hmmmmm I think then it will be different, maybe just being happy to have hair no matter what it looks like? I dont know, can tall you in a view months !LOL

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I do hope you recover fully. Anything to speed up the recovery process is a greeat idea. Good Luck, Happy Healing Bee.

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Thanky for stopping by :-)
You should not care tooooo much dear weone, I feel fine and much better with chemo than expected. So all looks good to be back to my ful power soon. Dont worry so much !LUV

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You managed to take a tremendous step that not many people are able to take during their lifetime: overcoming a substantial personal insecurity and finding yourself within it. Your experience, which you shared, is giving a slice of wisdom to those who may need to hear it. Evidently, you are no less of a person than you were before; indeed, you are closer to your true self than ever. And your prize is the inner peace you feel.

I can't begin to imagine what you're going through. The mixture of emotions must be without limit. I wish you the absolute best of luck in your journey. To whatever degree you can muster, I hope you're able to enjoy every moment to its fullest.

Thank you to the ever-kind @wesphilbin for pointing me here. 😊

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Thank you and @wesphilbin for this great compliment ❤️

you are closer to your true self than ever. And your prize is the inner peace you feel.

true and wise words !LUV

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@beeber...


Hello dear soul... While I would love to take credit, for such wonderful words and feelings. These thanks go to @freecompliments. When I find posts that I think deserve an extra little compliment (see what I did there?) I TAG freecompliments so he can come by, and say hello...

This was... by the way, a simply amazing post. Touching... heartfelt, emotional, and moving. We are simply fortunate, to be able to read your words and have the opportunity to know you...

Love and light...

!LUV

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Thank you Wes ❤️
Have to remember freecompliments next time I come to a great post. Mostly I forget about to remember this great Project

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@freecompliments...


Appreciate that you always stop by, to send such heartfelt, and positive messages.

Thank you...

!LUV

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It is simply as it should be, my friend. I'm honored to have you as one of the first people I encountered on Hive. 😊

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Thanks for sharing this personal story... It needs the courage to take the step that you took, and you need additional courage to share it with others...
It's great to hear that haircut gave you additional positivity and I bet that your example will help a lot of others who are struggling with similar issues...

Btw. I remember that in my youth my favorite singers were Annie Lenox, Sinead O'Connor, and Skunk Anansie... 😃 I understand that hair is important for women, but beauty doesn't grow on the top of our heads... 😜

Wish you fast healing!!

I have picked this post on behalf of the @OurPick project which will be highlighted in the next post!

Comment Footer.jpg

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Ah you reminded me, one week after the shaving I made a TTT music post about those great singing ladies, maybe you like to listen their music.
https://ecency.com/hive-193816/@beeber/ttt-what-counts-the-voice

I wondered where the ourpick came from, so thank you very much!!! Yes it takes courage, but all the other previous posts showed me, they also bring me so much motivation and love in return and finally I hope, as you said, the one or other may find helpful aspects in it.

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Ooh... I like that post! So many great artists! Thanks for sharing as I missed it when you created it...

I wondered where the ourpick came from, so thank you very much!!!

Ourpick is part of the @liotes project which I run with @achim03... We like to surprise people with our curation comments and upvotes... We are still a small curation account, but I hope we will grow and spread the love! 😍

All the best! See you in TTT tomorrow! :)

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"When I looked in the mirror, I saw myself for the first time."

That touched me. I've been peeled back, and I experienced what you said there, and that's the reason why I'm still here today 🤗

Beauty is in the soul, and that's what connects me to someone, that's what matters.

I admire your courage and strength 💜

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Its the soul, that connects us to others, so true ❤️ didnt know, you went through. Yes indeed there is the one most important thing, to stay here, to be alive and back to full health ❤️
Thank you !LUV

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No, I should clarify. I haven't been affected by cancer personally, many close to me though. However, I've peeled back layers of my life in other ways which allowed me to see myself in a way that if many took ever had the courage to do, would have a different outlook and gratitude for life.
I trust that writing and sharing this was cathartic 💜

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oh sorry, I misunderstood ❤️
Guess everybody faces different problems in life wich give the possibility to find oneself, but often people dont wannt to look at it.

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often people dont wannt to look at it.

You hit the nail on the head there 🤗

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Vom bad hair day zur Glatze ist ja mal ein krasser Sprung wenn man sich die letzten beiden Bilder anschaut. Hoffe du bist Gesundheitlich wieder auf dem Vormarsch und ich wünsch dir da alles Gute.
Ich hatte auch schon überlegt mir eine Glatze zu schneiden da oben eh schon der sogenannte Hubschrauberlandeplatz vorhanden ist. Bisher hab ich aber immer nur sehr kurz mit dem Haartrimmer geschnitten. Mal sehen ob die letzten Millimeter auch noch fallen.

!ALIVE

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hm, I guess, I would also cry, if I should cut or shave my hair.
Did you thought about playing piano?
Is it possible for you to play piano?
Are there other instruments you play?
(Sry, I just remembered)

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Hm mostly its late in the night, when I have the mood to make music and there the piano I have is a little bit too loud 😉 so its the guitar I choose in those moments.
But indeed, now you mention it, playing piano makes real good positiv healing vibrations.
Thanks for the reminder and for stoping by !LUV

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Your bravery at embracing your life and sharing it with all of us comes shining through. You are an inspiration, my beautiful friend!

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Thank you again and again for you motivation dear ❤️ !LUV

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You look so amazing with or without the hair ma'am. Our real beauty is in our souls, our ability to embrace who we truly are is everything.

I'm so happy that you are getting better, and that you have a support group to relate with and encourage one another.

And for the courage to share this journey with all of us. You are a true defination of an inspiration. ❤❤❤❤ !luv

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Vor ein paar Tagen habe ich doch eine Post geschrieben, Wind in meinen Haaren. Während ich den schrieb musste ich an Dich denken, da ich ja wusste, dass Du Chemo bekommst, und habe mich gefragt 'was wäre wenn'. Viele Dinge scheinen uns so wichtig zu sein, die es dann doch nicht sind, oder nicht mehr sind...

Du schaust wirklich gut aus so quasi als Sinead O'Connor 😘. Und dass Du über Deine Erfahrungen schreibst find ich klasse, bewundernswert und hilfreich - für Dich und für Deine Leser.

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Danke für das Kompliment ❤️
Denke es wird in Zukunft schon wieder eine Rolle spielen, aber der Blick den ich momentan auf mich habe wird positiv verändert bleiben.

Und ja ich hoffe dass es anderen helfen kann. !HUG

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@beeber,


I have seen you trying to share your positive energy, by sending LUV but ran out too soon. You can now share 10 LUV with others per day! Thank you, for being such a positive example on our blockchain!


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OperaGX Snapshot from HE


To see more about the LUV token, you can visit the following link:


https://peakd.com/@luvshares/about


QmQv73PbJxxKLvLXhDBWEBbHfoq2ptAkcdREdN4SKrorms.gif

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Hallo @beeber ! Du bist so mutig und dein Wille fasziniert mich an dir. Mach dir keine Sorgen um dein Aussehen, ich weiß, du bist so stark und wirst es schaffen, nach vorne zu schauen. Ich wünsche dir das Beste. xoxo, @mers

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Hair or no hair, you are a strong and beautiful person. 💜👊💜
Aside from the no bad hair days, now you can apply to play Lt. Ilia if she appears in any of the new Star Trek shows!
Just be careful when going out in the sun, get a nice hat or use sunscreen.

!LUV
!HUG

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