At this time every year, all of my guy friends usually brag about how much facial hair they grew during No Shave November.
Normally, I don’t participate. I know I can’t grow facial hair well and it’s just going to turn out blonde anyway. But this year, I decided to give it a try.
From my accompanying picture, you can see that, as predicted, I didn’t grow very much. It’s even more unnoticeable since it’s in black and white.
Over the course of the month, I’d get questions like, “Oh, are you trying to grow a beard?” Or comments like, “What facial hair?”
The funniest was when my wife would kiss me and tell me, “You’re prickly.”
Jokingly, I’d respond by saying, “I don’t know, I think I might keep this going a little longer.” She didn’t much care for that.
But all those jokes and embarrassing moments don’t hold a candle to the pain and embarrassment people with cancer go through every day during their battle. I decided to do this “No Shave November” challenge not for the laughter — although that’s definitely part of it — but to raise awareness and, in some small way, show support for the friends and family members I know struggling with the disease.
My best friend, Jackson Fairfield, had a stint with cancer a few years ago. His battle wasn’t as serious as it could’ve been, but it was still scary. I remember him calling me one night in 2017 saying, “Since you’re my best friend, I wanted you to be one of the first to know.”
I definitely choked up at that comment.
Secondly, my cousin Jonathon, who relapsed after many years of being cancer free. His second battle took all of his hair and exhausted him, but I’m happy to say he’s doing better now, and back doing what he loves to do: driving and posting about 18-wheelers.
But the most important cancer battle in my life is my mom’s. I’ve mentioned her in my columns before.
She was diagnosed initially with stomach cancer back in 2011. She beat that, but got a different kind of cancer again in 2012.
After years of being cancer free, she began to feel pain in her abdomen again in 2018. It was a primary peritoneal carcinoma, a serious form of cancer that only has three stages. She was told that while beating it was possible, there always would be an 80% chance of it coming back.
She beat it then after six months of chemotherapy and, during that time, trained for a half marathon. She was diagnosed again in 2019, but that didn’t stop her from hiking the Grand Canyon rim-to-rim-to-rim.
In 2021, she was diagnosed again. But again, that didn’t stop her from bicycling from Houston to New Orleans over the course of one week.
She underwent chemotherapy again, but that didn’t take all the cancer out. So, she’s decided not to undergo anymore treatments. I respect her decision, but pray it doesn’t spread.
My small decision not to shave my face is for these people who I consider my heroes. They have gone through hell and back in their battles and deserve my, and everyone else’s recognition and support.
It baffles me that in 2021, we still don’t have a cure for this disease. But I’m still confident that one day we will. For those reading this who know people with cancer, consider reaching out to them today to see how they’re doing.
A local cancer survivor by the name of Victor Diaz told me in October that the fight can get pretty lonely, and it’s always nice to have someone to talk to.
And please consider donating some of your money to a cancer research foundation of your choosing. Scientists are working tirelessly to find a cure, but they need everyone’s help and support.
sam@fredericksburgstandard.com
