Recently I took about six inches off the length of my hair. I did it in two steps - three inches at a time. The result is a chin length bob - straight and tidy. Friends on facebook used words like professional, sassy, sexy, sophisticated. The cafe owner around the corner said - you should have done this years ago. Acquaintances ask me how I feel about such a big change.
One part of me feels this is ridiculous. It's (only) hair. It grows back. Another part is relieved that those years of growth are shorn - those (dead) hair cells contained all the angst and drama and sadness from years ago - the hair that remains is newer and reflects the person I'm striving to be.
So when Maia asked to have her hair cut like mine I was only little surprised by my immediate rejection. True the time and energy saved by NOT having to
maintain her long locks would make both our lives easier, but her tangled mane contains so many memories and discussions and arguments and love...
Then I think - it's HAIR. Let's cut off her 10 inches and send them to
Locks of Love so a child - who's loss of hair is truly emotionally and physically significant - can have a sense of normalcy.
I made an appointment for her next week. An old friend will be cutting Maia's hair - a stylist who gave Joe his first cut. Somehow this comforts me.
Maia will look adorable in a bob.
You make some very interesting points. I think we often have things we cling on to, emotionally, or otherwise. For some reason I can't seem to get rid of all my old soccer jerseys, even though I absolutely need the drawer space! Pretty cute though that Maia wants to copy here mom :) I say let her go wild!!
ReplyDeleteAs for me, I wish I still had all that hair to experiment with :/
I love the take you have here on long hair as the accumulation of "all the angst and drama and sadness from years ago." You might have been the inspiration for my recent hair cut, by the way.
ReplyDeleteYears ago, when I let my hair get really long, when I finally had it cut (the last time it was this short) I gave it Locks of Love too. It was much appreciated, as it had not been dyed or permed or abused by too much "product."