I can't believe its been almost a month since I shaved. You spend so much time preparing for a big event, and then whoosh .. within the most fleeting moment in time it is behind you. Shave head bald. Check. I wanted to wait until after the shave itself before I changed this page to words of gratitude for many reasons, but I guess mainly because the entire experience was so immensely overwhelming that I couldn't find the words to express the immense gratitude to everyone who helped me surpass my goal by 180%. I'm still not going to have those perfect words - but this is my best attempt at saying thank you to all of you who were standing right by my side as I went down this crazy path. For all the love you had for me and my family .... for putting that love into action ... which is ... in my opinion .. what love is. Some of you on Facebook will have already read this, but I tried very hard not to go into the shave itself with any expectations. I wanted the experience to be whatever it would be. But truth be told I was very much expecting it to be extremely emotional. And ... well .. it was .. but not in the way I had anticipated. It was actually overwhelmingly joyous for me and my family and felt very much like a celebration of strength and perseverance. It truly was a once in a lifetime experience that is difficult to put into words. I have changed my photos on this page to some of the shave. As always, my words may not adequately or perfectly capture our experience - but the photographs do a pretty good job. (But then again - isn't that the story of my family's life???? In photographs? ) What I've found is more difficult however, is how to adequately express my GRATITUDE to every single person who made it possible for me to raise almost $18,000 towards Childhood Cancer Research in Canada!!! When I took this on, I truly thought I would be struggling for months to reach my goal. Instead it was reached it in just over 30 days ... and then nearly doubled by shave day. To have that much support and love coming at you was truly inconceivable for me. It was overwhelming, unbelievable and humbling. As the Grinch would say "it made my heart grow 3 sizes". I have so many stories to tell of people's generosity - of YOUR generosity. From people I haven't seen in years, from friends who gave MUCH too much, from people I haven't even met, from children who came up with ideas themselves to raise money for me, from my friends who pitched in with events and didn't stop saying "what can I do?" and shared our story with their own friends and families ...... it seemed that every week there was something that was astounding me - overwhelming me - filling me with gratitude - on this crazy 6 month ride. "THANK YOU"!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Those two words just don't possibly seem "enough" for me to say to all of you ....for all you have done. But then again ... I guess that's how this all started wasn't it? With "whispering thank you". And somehow ....over the past 7 years since diagnosis, the Universe has (thus far) responded with "Yes .... those two words ARE enough, Karrie-Ann. Rest now." So THANK YOU ... to all of you.