Cut-A-Thon

Random acts of kindness...it's what makes the world go 'round'.
Yesterday, it was proven to me that there are special people out there, people that put others ahead of themselves and take pleasure in going out of their way to help those in need.
Though I only worked at Safeway for 10 months before I was diagnosed, I met some wonderful people who have just been helping and proving their friendships to me ever since. I am forever grateful for these people entering my life.
One of my work friends, Ashley, and her lovely mom Bonnie, decided a few weeks ago they wanted to put on a Cut-A-Thon for little old me.
Bonnie is a hair instructor at the college here in town and, with my background of doing hair and running a salon for 10 years, her and I have bonded.
I initially told them, not to worry about doing this for me, that it would be a lot of work and it wasn't necessary. However, they already had their minds set on it and yesterday they pulled it off!
I had a few appointments yesterday morning, but at 12:00 I made my way up to the school to see everyone. While I was driving, I was overwhelmed with the fact that this was even happening. I mean, I have always been that girl that hates opening presents in front of people, but this was over the top. Was there really a room full of people I don't even know working their butts off to raise money for me? The thought brought me to tears. How could I be so lucky? Do people really like me this much to donate their time for me?
I know, these questions I was asking, make it seem like I don't think much of myself, but that is not the case. The bottom line is that, I haven't lived in Nelson very long, and haven't had time to bond with many people here. I just wouldn't expect all this love from people I have hardly spent time with, outside of work. Plus! When I was working with them, I was managing them and was often a big bitch, bossing them around.
Regardless, of all of these questions and thoughts, there was a small group of people organizing this event, for me. There was also a large group of people, I don't know, cutting the hair and even more, coming in to get their haircut and donate money.
AMAZING.
As I parked, I started to get nervous, I didn't want to walk into the school and start bawling in front of everyone.
Well, that was something that I couldn't control. I spent the day laughing, chatting, poring out my feelings, crying, hugging, crying, laughing more and crying.
The girls from my work had put on a bake sale with pink cupcakes and Starbucks coffee (donated from Safeway). The mother's of some of the students (that I don't even know!) had made cupcakes with pink ribbons, and bake sale signs and so on...
In the classroom there were students dressed in pink and throughout the day local people, some I know and some I don't poured in and out of the school, to get their haircut and make donations.
Ashley had brought these hilarious pink Jerseys for us to wear, they had 2 softballs where our breasts would be and they read "Save Second Base!" They were from her dad's softball team (he had a female friend with breast cancer on the team).
The day was unspeakable. I felt loved and overwhelmed. I tried to thank everyone at the end of the day "I am honored that all of you, some I don't even know, would do this for me. It's amazing and I can't explain how much it means to me." I said while sobbing like a baby!
But it was true.
It is a moment, a day, I will never forget.
Thank you to everyone who was a part of it.
I promise to pay it forward one day, as I can't wait to make someone else feel how good I felt yesterday.
Grateful.