It's only hair!

As we stood together in the lobby waiting for the hairdresser to call her name, she took my hand and placed it over her heart and smiled at me as if her insides were about to burst. I could feel her heart beating what seemed to be double-time and felt my own matching the pace.

"It's going to be great!", I whispered to her. "Don't be nervous."

My daughter has been wanting a haircut for a while now. What a simple thing - a haircut. When she was born she had amazingly beautiful golden-copper hair. When I was pregnant with her and imagined what she would look like, I pictured a brunette like me or perhaps a blond like her daddy. But it never occurred to me that my daughter would have gorgeous golden red hair. I don't know why. After all, my sister has a very similar radiant color. I have other relatives with red hair too. But it just never occurred to me that my daughter would as well.

In her toddler years that hair was truly magnificent. It curled like her daddy's and made the most adorable little golden ringlets all around her head. She was like a little cherub bathed in light. Everywhere we went, people would remark about her gorgeous hair. I loved playing with it and fixing it in cute little hairdos, but mostly just loved the look of it falling naturally all around her face. She loved it too and always wanted it to "be free", which became a little bit of an issue as it grew longer and she started school. I remember getting the note from the director of the school she was attending that informed me of the need to fix my daughter's hair away from her face. I hated that - but understood and complied.

As she entered grade school, most of the curl had left and in it's place were beautiful soft waves with just the tiniest hint of curl at the ends. We fixed it in ponytails and braids. For Halloween one year she dressed as Pippi Longstockings and we even braided it and put a coat hanger over the top of her head, down through the braids and then bent the hanger upwards on each end so that her braids would curve up and out! It was about the most adorable thing I had ever seen. That long hair also came in handy during the Thanksgiving pageant at her school last year when she played the part of a Native American. The long braids were perfect.


We did get her hair cut a little below shoulder length once, but it made her look so grown up and I couldn't wait for it to grow back out. And I haven't wanted her to cut it. I just love that hair. But she really wanted this change. And it's only hair after all, right?

So, here we are, with a sweet little golden bob and an unbelievably big smile. I have the locks to send to Wigs for Kids. We'll be sending that off tomorrow together. And mommy thinks she is just as adorable as ever. And please forgive a mommy's emotions over something so silly as a haircut!