Finding Joy in the Less Than Perfect

Today I took my beautiful 15 year old daughter to the dermatologist.  Not because of her skin but because of her hair.  Six years ago she was diagnosed with alopecia areata.  If you haven't heard of alopecia before it's hair loss that occurs in small round patches on the scalp.  Some specialists believe that alopecia is an auto-immune disease.  There is also the belief that alopecia is brought on by stress.  It seems to be cyclical.  If you read much about alopecia you'll learn that while it can be treated, treatment is not always successful.  You'll also learn that alopecia can progress to total hairloss, everywhere.  For me it's better not to read or think about it too much.  My daughter has adopted the same strategy. We've been really fortunate so far.  This is our fourth round of treatment for alopecia.  Each time we've caught it earlier and we've been able to reverse the hair loss.  

As a result of our experience with alopecia we find joy in a new dermatologist that we like.  We find joy in a familiar diagnosis.  We find joy in getting the spot treated quickly.  We find joy in scalp injections that will reverse hair loss.  We find joy in regrowth.  We find joy in bad hair days. 

It's easy to get caught up in and focus on the things that aren't perfect in life.  It's easy to forget how much is right in our world.   In a way, our alopecia experience is a reminder of all that is right in our lives.