I sniffed the calm, cool air.
It’s been months. It feels so good.
I take a deep breath and lift my frail hands to my head.
I pull at the bandana strings and let it fall to the ground.
It lands soundlessly on the green grass.
I brush my fingertips against my scalp.
I feel the smooth skin, bare and unprotected.
But I know that this is just the beginning.
It does not matter what I look like on the outside.
It’s on the inside.
I’ve heard this too many times.
By now the saying just comes to me naturally.
It’s as easy as breathing.
It’s different now.
I never gave that saying a second thought before.
But now I have, many times.
The difference between then and now is that now, I truly believe in that.
I will get my chance to be beautiful on the outside again someday.
But I will forever be beautiful on the inside.
For I am free.
There’s no more bad news, no more disappointment, no more pain.
After so long I am finally, 100%, cancer free.