When the Road Gets Tough

When life hits, sometimes it wears its punching gloves, comes prepared, strikes from behind and hits us hard. Life is beautiful and full of wonder but also very hard and full of pain. We've all been there. We've all had our moments in the shadows, our days of despair, our darkest hour and our longest nights. But if we learn anything from those moments I hope it is to appreciate the other moments we spend somewhere else, anywhere else and everywhere else. You can't appreciate the sun without the shade, the rainbow without the rain, the light without the dark and the good without the bad.

I have a family member who was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and is currently undergoing chemotherapy. Let me start by telling you this woman is strong... very very strong. She has been faced with numerous difficulties in life and where you or I would have fallen, she pushed through. She is a wonderful woman, a vibrant mother and a loving wife. This is just one of her obstacles and I know she will exceed everyone's' expectations through this obstacle just like all of the rest... because she is just that type of strong. 

When she realized she would likely be losing her hair she asked me to make her some head scarves. She sent me some pictures (clearly overestimating my skill) and I promised what I didn't know if I could deliver. 

Now let me preface this with the fact that I am not as strong. I doubt myself, I researched late through the night and I procrastinated at every turn. Eventually, I moved past my fear of failure and I tried. I did the best I could, (it took me much longer than I hoped) I made mistakes but I also had some successes along the way. I made her six different head scarves, each unique and with a special purpose in mind. 

The first I called Red. For those special nights out, those elegant occasions or those moments you want to feel that silky, sultry feeling. Brave women wear red and she is the bravest I know. I included the following cards with each scarf (below are pictures I took wearing the scarves before I mailed them). 

The second scarf is Rosie the Riveter because she is the definition of a strong woman and a reminder that "We Can Do It!"

Pink because who doesn't love a little pink. Some softness and a feminine head wrap might be just enough to make someone feel back to their normal once again.

Because for obvious reasons she is handling this with so much class and a heap ton of fabulousness.

A girl in Polka Dots is a happy girl!

She specifically requested a Super Hero head scarf for her 10-year-old boy to show him how strong she is. I have a feeling he already knows and she didn't need a scarf to be his Hero!

So that's it! Step out of your comfort zone, try something new, have courage, be brave and fail, because if you never try you will never succeed! And I can bet you, she's glad I tried...

And so am I!

Linked up with Crazy Mom Quilts, Confessions of a Fabric Addict and Busy Hands Quilts!