The Mirror Isn’t Broken

Week 7: The Story Behind the Diagnosis

I used to avoid mirrors. Not because I didn’t recognize myself—but because I did. I saw the woman who had been cracked open by a diagnosis, stripped of certainty, and reshaped by survival. I saw the scars, the shifts, the silence.

After awhile, I started looking again. Not with dread, but with curiosity. Who is this version of me? She’s softer in some ways, fiercer in others. She’s not defined by what was taken, but by what she chose to reclaim.

Hair loss taught me that beauty isn’t rooted in strands—it’s rooted in presence. In showing up, even when you feel invisible. In speaking, even when your voice shakes. In loving yourself, even when the world doesn’t know how to.

This week, know that the mirror isn’t broken. It’s just reflecting someone new. And she’s worth seeing.

Beryl