A friend of mine was recently at a small dinner party hosted by friends. One of the guests was diagnosed with ovarian cancer a few months ago. Though my friend didn’t personally know the woman, she’d heard about the diagnosis from their mutual friends.
The woman was very open about her treatment during the dinner conversation. She had clearly lost hair in the process, but opted not to wear a wig. Everything was going well until another female guest brought up a bad haircut she’d once had. She joked that the cut made her “practically look bald.” The other woman smiled politely, but a lot of winces went round. Afterwards, the host confessed to my friend that he was embarrassed by the guest’s thoughtless comment.
I’m sure the guest didn’t mean to offend anyone. She was simply sharing an anecdote like everyone does during dinner parties, and didn’t realize that it could be seen as making light of a serious situation. She can only learn from her mistake and take more consideration going forward. It’s important to keep your perspective and remember that others are battling things that you can only imagine. Keep that in mind and avoid making someone more self-conscious about what they are going through. You don’t have to walk on eggshells, but a little common sense goes a long way!