Anna

This past weekend I was working at Nordstrom, like usual.  I had made a bunch of really cute foundation samples and was handing them out in the aisles when my manager pulled me to the floor and asked me to help a customer who was searching for a good foundation.

Of course, I happily took on the task, since matching people in foundations is one of my favorite things to do--right up there beside giving people complete makeovers.  There is an artistic aspect to doing this that requires a keen eye for color, and my eye seems to have developed quite well in that area.

My customer's name was Anna.  I've helped her find a mascara before, but hadn't ever had a chance to sit down and talk with her for more than a couple of minutes.

Anna is a beautiful Philippino woman.  Her natural hair color is a soft charcoal that fades in the popular ombre style toward a mid-level caramel brown on the ends.  It lands a little past her shoulders and I've noticed she likes to wear it curled in a wave.  Her eyes are a deep brown that glint gold when the light hits them, and you can tell by their shape that she smiles quite a bit.  Her skin has a strong gold tone with very few imperfections, which I found amazing once I learned about the last few years of her life.  Most people wear their stress on their face.

Before you start thinking I'm a creeper, know that these are the things I pay attention to when I'm searching for what color to use on people.  I can tell you these details about almost any person that I've put foundation on.  I'd probably also be able to recall the depth of color and thickness of their brows, if they had any distinguishing marks on their face, and if they had strong cheekbones or not.

Somehow we got on the topic of cancer.  I think she thought I'd noticed her scar on her neck.  Being someone who has a scar from cancer, I can tell you that sometimes I'm self-conscious of it and sometimes I think people notice it.  Oddly enough, though, I don't usually recognize them on others.  I mean, I'll notice them, but my mind doesn't stop and think, "This person has a scar.  I wonder what it's from?"  I guess I my assumption is that everyone is scarred, but only some of us have them on the outside whereas others carry them only on the inside.

Turns out she's had thyroid cancer.  She was diagnosed a few years ago and has been through several surgeries and multiple rounds of radiation.  Her journey has been long and difficult.  During one of her surgeries, one of her laryngeal nerves was clipped, and consequently, her right vocal cord is now permanently paralyzed.  Did I mention she's a professional singer?

At one point, she was completely unable to speak, or even whisper.  In her book, My Lipstick Journey Through Cancer, she talks about how she had to grieve the possibility of not being able to sing again.  Possibly ever.  However, she's been in therapy for quite some time now, working on restoring strength to her working vocal cord so she can continue singing.

Every time she's visited the cosmetic counters at Nordstrom, Anna is always smiling.  Always.  I was thinking about it while reading her book, and I hope that I have a positive effect on people like she does.  I hope that I am a little ray of sunshine for people who meet me on a daily basis, that I smile, and that people feel a little more cared for and respected because they met me.

***Update, 3/16/13: Anna isn't doing so well now.  It is believed that the cancer is coming back and has spread to different areas, but she has no insurance to pay for a PET scan that would reveal more.***