My hair

I guess I didn't realize until today how much my hair (I mean the hair that used to be on my head) defines me. Today I went to the kosher butcher to pick up our meat order for the week and I saw a number of people there whom I've know for years, in once case for decades. I greeted each of them and their response told me that they had NO IDEA who I was. Only one person realized it was me, stopped and asked how I was doing, and the rest acted as if I was a scary person that should be avoided.

It was bizarre and demoralizing. Now that I have the energy (admittedly not as much energy as I'd like) to go out and run errands I am invisible. Even with a hat on it's clear I have no hair, and even total strangers will make it a point to look away, as if what I have is contagious. Every once in a while a nice woman who sees my hairless head will make it a point to smile and try to connect for a moment. I'm convinced that these special women recognize me a cancer survivor, and probably do so because they, too, were once as hairless as I am now.

My sister Sheila and her partner Sheri are actually coming here from Palm Springs for a couple of days starting tomorrow. Last time we had to cancel because of illness on both sides of that plane flight. At Sheila's request I sent her pictures of my bald head, and good thing I did because it takes some getting used to and I don't like to wear a hat in the house unless I'm cold. I told Sheila on the phone today about the symptoms of menopause that I've been experiencing, and it turns out that she and I are about at the same place with that. I expect if we hit one of those insane moments at the same time the rest of the family will run for the hills.

I will be going to services tomorrow - there is a bar mitzvah of a boy who is one of Marshall's students - he trains kids approaching bar mitzvah on how to chant the Torah. I'm sure this week I will have a Shabbat nap, since I've had to nap every day this week just to get through the day.

We had hail today, and up in the Oakland Hills where Heshy's school is located it snowed for a few minutes! It's very unusual to have snow predicted as low as 500 feet.

Pray for a peaceful Shabbat.