The other day I stopped by a local gift shop. I was wearing a cap instead of a wig, and the woman ringing up my purchase asked if I purposely cut my hair as short as it appeared. I replied no, I was going through chemo.

It ended up that she had gone through breast cancer treatment four years ago. We talked chemo side effects; she experienced similar ones, including the fingernails starting to pull away from the nail beds. She said she ended up liking her hair short so well after it grew back that she’s kept it short ever since.

It’s a big club, those of us who have had breast cancer, and you never know when you’ll run into a member. For some reason, my interaction with this woman stuck with me this week. Our shared experiences helped normalize it, which is both helpful and kind of sad. Yet, I’m thankful for the reminders that many women have gone through this and are back to living normally again. I’ll be joining them soon.