Scissors, Locks, and Smiles

A number of years ago I had let my hair grow out pretty long and decided that I would get it cut and donate it to Locks of Love. It wasn’t something that was premeditated, I just wanted a new “do” and had enough hair to donate, and since I have a cousin whose daughter has a disorder that means she doesn’t grow hair and has to wear a wig, it made sense for me to do it. I loved doing it, but never planned to do it again.

Until about two years ago. It was then that my daughter, Anne, decided she would like to grow her hair out and donate it and that we should do it together. I didn’t want to grow my hair that long again, but when your daughter is thinking about others and wants to do something like that, you say “YES, I would love to do that with you!” I don’t remember when that initial conversation took place, all I know is it seems to have taken a VERY long time to grow our hair out. And for about the last two months, I have been ready to cut mine off. It was too long. It was making me too hot. I was complaining about it. A lot.

And then I would think about why we were doing it. There are so many kids that face diseases like cancer and other disorders who don’t have hair. At all. And I am complaining because I have too much. NOT very cool of me.

So, when the time came this past Saturday, I was nearly jumping up and down in excitement that I could cut it off. But that isn’t what I ended up being most happy about. It was amazing to watch my daughter as she prepared to let Fay cut her hair and the smile on her face as she held our ponytails knowing that they were going to kids who needed hair. My daughter, at 10 1/2 years old, is getting it. She is understanding what it means to give of herself for those in need. And this is just one of the ways that I am seeing that come through her. And I love that. And I love her. And as awesome as it is to have shorter hair again, it pales in comparison to how awesome it is to have a daughter that loves God and all His children.

Way to go, Anne!