A bobby pin is a simple item created to hold beautiful locks of hair in place or to adorn your flowing locks. Bobbie pins come in all sizes; some created with all sorts of lovely bejeweling. Many of us can find them at the bottom of our handbag or in our bathroom drawer where we keep our brushes and combs. A bobby pin is simply an everyday item; something we easily take for granted.

Sitting in the waiting room anxiously she is filled with uncertainty. As the surgeon enters she can tell by the concerned look of his face that the news isn’t good. The diagnosis? Cancer.

A woman experiences an avalanche of emotions when she faces a cancer diagnoses. How will this affect my family?  How will I tell my children? What is the best treatment? Will this financially topple her? How will she navigate the avalanche of emotions?  So man questions yet one question always runs through her mind.

Will I lose my hair?

As she sits in front of the mirror seeing gaps where portions of her hair have been she knows it is now time to shave her remaining hair; she experiences an abrupt new look; she sheds tears and bravely moves forward.

Looking at her options she wonders, “ should I purchase a wig? Should I embrace the idea of wearing a turban or a scarf in an effort to navigate this already difficult season?” Often times a woman will choose these options not for her own comfort but to make those around her more comfortable with her “baldness.”

There are days when she wistfully relooks at pictures of the woman she saw herself to be before the cancer diagnosis; she longs to see  that girl in the mirror as she fearlessly fights the disease inside. She misses her hair.

Over the weekend I had the immense pleasure of being a part of a special conference put on by a richly impacting non-profit called Compassion That Compels. This conference is a gathering of priceless, beautiful women who are or have fought a cancer battle. These women are incredibly courageous; I was inspired the moment I entered the room.

At the tail end of the conference the passionate founder of the non-profit, Kristianne Stewart, asked some key women to come to the front of the room. Standing in front of me were women who were just coming out of their cancer treatment. As Kristianne began to move from woman to woman I saw her reach out and gently place a bejeweled bobby pin in the tiny flocks of hair beginning to grow out on the heads of these beautiful over-comers. The room was full of tears; tissues were being passed around the room because everyone there knew the power of this moment, it was way more than a simple bobby pin.

This priceless bobby pin is a signal for the hope of a new season, a time to reclaim fresh glimpses of the girl she saw in the mirror seasons ago. The bobby pin is an emotional representation of the battle she has courageously fought.

Beautiful Amanda grabbed my heart as I watched this tiny bobby pin being placed on the side of her pretty head. Tears fell from her eyes and I, having never faced a cancer treatment, got an emotional glimpse of the depth that this cancer battle had cost her. My heart was so moved as I understood for the first time the impacting power of the bobby pin. This was a moment I will never forget; what a precious and meaningful show of love.

Should you or someone you love face a cancer diagnosis don’t face the journey alone. Let me suggest you reach out to a team of Beautiful Over-comers to join you in your journey.

You can find them at http://www.compassionthatcompels.org