Last Spring I had the opportunity to get to henna and to get to know Linda Olsen, who at the time was getting started with her Chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer. I hennaed a crown of flowers and paisleys and peacocks on her head that first time, and hennaed her head twice more during her process of getting through her treatments. In June, Linda asked me if I would be willing to henna her head and her chest over her mastectomy scars. She let me know that this would be for the June, 2009 cover of Goodness magazine in relation to their issue about self care, and hers and another woman's stories about going through breast cancer. I was honored that she asked me and was happy to do her henna. Linda referred to the henna that she had on her chest as a shield, and on her head as a crown. She spoke during the henna session that day of how she felt that her hennaed head helped melt the ice with people who she met. I was uplifted to hear that Linda's henna made it easier for her to go out into the world with no hair, and no hat, and no breasts. I love it that the henna seemed to make a difference between being approached with dread by people she met for the fear of what might befall any one of us... for the fear of having to go through cancer. You can find the article online at Goodness Magazine
Linda has finished her chemo now, and her hair has grown back. She has undergone her reconstructive surgery, and as a way of marking that transition in her journey, we hennaed her chest again just 3 days before that surgery, over the "place holders" and over her heart. We will henna again as soon as she is healed from her reconstructive surgery, and I will post a bunch of photos then of the whole year long process of the hennas we did together.
In an interesting tangent, I heard yesterday from one of the staff of Goodness Magazine, inviting me to henna at an event celebrating Cancer Survivor's Day hosted by all of the major hospital systems at Portland's World Forestry Center on June 6th from 1-4 pm.
If you have walked the path with cancer and are still walking, mark the date and plan to join us. Henna will be free to the attendees at the event. I look forward to networking and spreading the word a bit about henna as well as laying down the adornment to celebrate life!
I am so thrilled that more and more people are finding henna as away to mark the important moments of their journeys, what ever they might be. I am so grateful that the magic made adorning people with this generous little plant can do so very much good. When it comes to the idea of henna for promoting cancer awareness, and awareness that henna can help with going through the process of cancer, and henna as celebration of survival of that process, I am glad that the world has spokespeople like Linda and Goodness magazine.
(The photos above were taken by Joni Schrantz www.jonischrantz.com for Goodness Magazine)
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