Yesterday, I made a well thought out decision to visit a new nail shop… For some, this may not be a big deal but, I had been going to the same place for 9 years.

Lily, my nail technician had been taking care of my nails for almost a decade! I felt like she has really been a part of my life. With the limited English she spoke, we managed to talk about my journey of infertility, the challenges of motherhood and then the cancer journey. She knew me… She always had my cup of tea (milky, no sugar) waiting for me at every appointment.

I was so relieved to find the shop had reopened once the lockdown had lifted. I was shocked to find out she would not be returning due to personal health reasons… I knew what those reasons were and was a little sad that it could be a while before I saw her again. I thought about how Coronavirus had really changed everything.

Reluctantly- feeling like I had no choice, I sat at the table of another lady in the shop. Our conversation was very surface level and weak. I was in a mood. My nails were not looking like how Lily would do them. We didn’t have a back and forth conversation on my choice of colour, only to have the same colour as the previous set… it was strange and, when it was all over, I can hand on heart say I was unimpressed with the finished outcome.

I returned for a second time- more out of loyalty to the shop seeing as I get on well with the owners. I sat at a different table. This lady was a great talker, she had previously owned her own store for over 10 years and gave it up to spend more time with her family hence her only working 2 days per week. She seemed to know what she was doing and really took her time.

My high expectations evaporated once I got home and really assessed both my hands and feet. Due to the effects of chemotherapy, Lily knew how to take care of my feet. So, after seeing my younger sisters nails, I decided it was time to break away from the shop and move to something new. It was a strange feeling, I almost didn’t go in.

I could tell the new nail technician was unimpressed with the quality of my nails and we decided to start all over. I knew then that I had found my new normal.

I guess, sometimes in life, we stay in places due to complacency or what we deem as normal. We return to situations etc out of loyalty knowing full well that we won’t be impressed with the results.

My new pink nails are for the buildup for Breast Cancer Awareness month! In October, as much as I’m not a fan of pink, it’s going to be a total pink takeover so, keep checking back because- I’M BACK!

💛💛