"Layers" Extraordinary

"Do ordinary things with extraordinary love." Mother Theresa

extraordinary: going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary 

My last round of chemo took me a little longer to recover from. But I didn't lay around sulking in it.
My boss, Cherie takes the Glitz staff every year to Mackinac Island for a weekend of team bonding.
I signed up to go knowing it was going to be a challenge, but also knowing that the group I work with are the very people that I would want to be with to encourage me.

The word of the weekend was EXTRAORDINARY. We were spoiled with gifts that shared this theme.

For me it really touched my heart. I have been doing hair at Glitz for over 20 years. I LOVE MY JOB, I LOVE GLITZ and all our staff and I LOVE my clients.
I shared with the group how the theme EXTRAORDINARY spoke to me....
I shared that most of the time we go to work, we do the best job we can, we give a great cut, a great color and give our best. We work very hard at connecting with our clients through hair and through heart. After their service is completed they hug you, make their next appointment and off they go.
Or so I thought. I thought it just ended there.
I was wrong. 
When I discovered I had breast cancer I began to share the news with my clients. I had to share the news quickly due to the fact I would not have hair their next appointment, I needed to prepare them. Most of my clients are regulars. I have been doing their hair for years. I do their spouses hair, I have cut their children's hair, I have gone to their children weddings, open houses. and even funerals..they are so special TO ME. 
Here's what I learned.... I learned in this journey that I am EXTRAORDINARY to them. I have always thought they were to me, I had no idea I meant so much to them just by being ME. 
I have been showered with cards, they have found my address! I have been given beautiful flowers, gifts and messages that have made me feel so EXTRAORDINARY. 
I shared to the girls, to never give up, to keep giving your best, that they are EXTRAORDINARY to their clients and to others even if they never know it, they are. 
It was a sweet time. The staff and the instructors gave me so much encouragement. They made me feel very secure. The staff I work with are BEAUTIFUL and they all have beautiful HAIR, but they made me feel beautiful something this cancer wants to take from you.

"LAYERS"
Having cancer has many layers. "Patti" one of the instructors shared that word with me in a intimate conversation. It was like she was looking into my soul. I felt like she new more than she was sharing.

One of the "Layers" that I really never discuss is the financial layer. Andy is a very proud husband, he works very hard and has worked 2 jobs many years throughout our marriage. He is a great provider. I see the bills piling up. I sneak a peak at the co-pays and ask about our deductible and always get the same answer "Nita, don't worry about it, I will take care of it."
Andy does his best to hide that burden on me. And I do appreciate it. But I have had to cut my hours back, I will have to take several weeks off work for surgery and the bills will continue to add up even with insurance. Another thing cancer steals from you is your finances.
This weekend The Glitz staff came together to create a way to help me with my finances. A donation was made in my honor to help create a fund to help take some of the burden off me. It was shared at one of our meetings and took us all but surprise. Emotions gripped me in that generous moment, I couldn't even think of words to share, I just had tears of LOVE. SO much LOVE.


RUNDOWN:

The first day I woke up at 6am to run. It was raining and cold. My belly was turned inside out. Oh the bed felt so warm. "I don't need to run...."
"Its cold out and you don't feel good...."
The dialogue was bantering.
I quickly got up and headed to my clothes I had laid

out trying to be careful not to wake Angie.
I was outside the hotel by 6:25am.
This is why I RUN. I run to enjoy the beauty. Mackinac Island, 8 miles of beauty and adventure. 8 miles of waves crashing and sea gulls. 8 miles of thick forest and fresh air.
8 Miles cancer was NOT going to steal from me. I made it a mile and I sobbed like a baby. This was my joy, no bad weather, no turned belly, no cancer was going to steal this from me. It might not be my fastest, it might not me my greatest, for that matter it might even be my hardest but I was going to love it exactly where I was at. Giving myself grace and giving God gratitude.

Before we left I planned to get up early and go walk up to the see the Arch. I have done this before but this time Elizabeth joined me. It was about a 3 mile walk there and back.  I have an infected toe....I will explain that tomorrow so walking was all I could do.
It was so much fun and even more fun having someone to share it with me.

Elizabeth and I got real adventurous and took a trail back into town...

In closing, I just want to thank so many of you for making me feel so EXTRAORDINARY. I wish you all knew how much each of you have blessed me. 
Never quit being the greatest version of you. We all have bad days, don't be defined by your bad days, find something glorious each day and that light will shine.

I have to have another procedure tomorrow. I have a very infected toe, I also got my blood work, but I am too tired now...tomorrow I will fill in. 

Anita~