The True Spirit of Christmas

Today, I went with my mom for an appointment at bella permanent makeup studio. She had an appointment to have her eyebrows permanently penciled in (tatooed) because all of her hair, inluding her eyebrows is gone from the past several years of chemotherapy treatments. Since there is likely to end to her treatments, she decided to opt for a permanent option. We met two wonderful ladies at bella. Shirley and Debi.

Mom's appointment was with Shirley who had told mom she'd knock $100 of her procedure because she's a cancer patient. We got there and Shirley started on mom's eyebrows. When Debi showed up she told mom she'd do her eyeliner for free because she was a cancer patient. As the day went on and mom was having some beautiful hair stroke eyebrows tatooed another client came in to have her eyebrows and lips touched up. The lady asked mom if she was going to have her lips done. Mom said not today but sometime in the near future. Debi looked at me and silently asked if she should do her lips too and I said yes. Debi also did permanent lip liner on mom today for no charge.

While mom was sitting in the chair with numbing gel on her eyes and lips, Debi left the studio and went to her house and came back with two wigs. After giving my mom $700 of free cosmetic procedures she also gave her two wigs that she owned but never wore. Could this woman be more caring, more giving?

When mom finally got to look in the mirror, she wept. And soon all 4 of us were in tears. My mother looked like a woman I've not seen in many years. Her face once again reflected the amazing, vibrant woman who lives within a cancer ridden body.

Debi personified the Christmas spirit today. I hope that each and every one of you who reads this will have a chance to encounter the Christmas spirit in human form this holiday season. I did today, and it was truly amazing.

Thank you Debi. You have given my mother a gift bigger than color and pigment. You have given her a reflection that shows who she really is.