Scarves for Mindy

One of my girlfriends in Boise is battling cancer (again!).  As with a lot of tragic diseases they seem to pick the least deserving suspects.  Mindy is one of the nicest, most thoughtful, caring women I know.  She always has a smile on her face & has one of the most infectious laughs (or giggles) I have ever heard.  When my husband and I lost a pregnancy at 23 1/2 weeks she was one of the first to show up at our door with a home cooked meal & a hug.  As giving and wonderful as she is, the other thing about Mindy is she never asks anyone for anything.  She is "help adverse", which really means she would rather give it than receive. So you can imagine my reaction when I received a response to an e.mail that said the following (after a few light-hearted remarks):  "I do have a question for you, my fashionable friend. I am getting better at tying head scarves...but all the ones around here I can find look like they were designed for my great-grandma (a not-so-fashionable short basque woman). Have you run across anything beautiful during your shopping excursions?"

Ummmm..... YES!   When given a task, especially a fashionable one, I take it very seriously!  With the help of my very generous girlfriends I bought every stylish scarf I could find on every web site & store I regularly peruse.  We gave her everything from Gap to Alexander McQueen, from Jcrew to Diane Von Furstenburg, from Aqua to Ferragamo.  As I was receiving my online orders & picking up more scarves around town I became very inspired by them.  They are so cheerful & beautiful & soft.  They come in so many sizes & fabrics & patterns.  I felt like buying "one for me, one for her."  Which I resisted with the exception of one I couldn't live without.  I've worn it a number of times & it immediately makes me think of Mindy.  It reminds me to live each day to the fullest, to appreciate my body, my health, my family, my friends.  It makes me smile & make eye contact with strangers because you just never know what they might be battling.  And, in my own little way I smile knowing that I am showing support for a dear friend even when I am not in her presence.

So many cancer fighters & survivors are just like Mindy in that they would rather give help than ask for it.  There are so many ways to show support for loved ones & strangers who battle these awful diseases, but I would like to propose a new one.  Rather than a ribbon or a bracelet, why not a colorful scarf?   You can pick the respective color of the type of cancer your beloved fights or find one that represents the personality of the brave souls who are fighting cancer.  You can wear it around you neck, on your head, as a belt or a headband.  Tie it on your purse or around your wrist.  It may be stylishly subtle, but just think how much more cheerful our world would be if everyone added a little color to their wear, meanwhile supporting all of the wonderful people who didn't choose to get cancer.  I gave Mindy the box of scarves with a card that said on the cover:  "Give a girl the right shoes & she can conquer the world. -Bette Midler".  I wrote on the inside "Give a girl the right scarves & she can conquer cancer. -Your Girlfriends".  So if you feel helpless or know a help adverse cancer victim like Mindy, throw on a scarf.  Until we rid our world of cancer at least you will feel like you are helping a girl conquer it.

Stylishly yours,
DKG

Mindy's box of scarves

My new "Mindy" scarf