alopecia in an unexpected place...

Over Thanksgiving weekend, our family visited the Gaylord Texan resort.

Our family on Amy's side. (minus her brother & his family b/c they were about to have a baby!)

Pop & Mamie.

Auntie Jill (Amy's sister), Uncle Adam, Trevor (10) & Tyson. (7)

Our little fam.

And would you believe who we found working at the Gaylord?! Another girl with alopecia totalis!!

In my (Amy's) excitement and haste, I couldn't think of any other way to start a conversation with her, so I rushed up to her and said, "Hi! Do you have alopecia?" (great conversation starter, eh?)

Thankfully her eyes lit up with joy and then SHE got excited! "Yes I do!!"

I immediately yank off Caroline's leopard print hat for her to see Caroline: "WE DO, TOO!!"

"Oh my gosh!" she said, "I don't think I've ever met anyone else with it!"

Kelsea proceeded to tell us her story. She lost her hair very early in life, too. She quickly showed us a picture of her on her phone from when she was a young girl (probably 1 or 2), complete with a full head of hair.

"My parents were really scared when it happened, too. They were freaking out. But it's okay, and it's gonna be okay, I promise. We're totally healthy, I promise!"

I had to ask her. "So how was it growing up with alopecia? Did people tease you much?"

"I mean, a few people teased me, but I grew up in a small town and I was actually the most popular girl in my school, so it didn't matter. I wish my parents wouldn't have kept trying to get me to wear a wig. Wigs are so uncomfortable and I'm fine just being me. She (pointing at Caroline) is absolutely gorgeous."

"That's so awesome," I said. (I probably had stars in my eyes or something, I was beside myself as I had just come across another girl with AT!) "I'm so proud of you for embracing it and not feeling like you have to cover up to be beautiful. Would you mind if we took a picture with you?"

"Not at all!"

It was SO surreal and amazing. Encouraging to her and to us as well. Even in such a spectacular place as the Gaylord Hotel, meeting this girl Kelsea was the highlight of that place for us.

Bye for now!