Hair

I’m sure I fretted about my hair when I was in high school, but I don’t much remember it. I had a basic style, parted on the side, tucked behind my ears, and teased a bit on the top and back, probably lots of hair spray! In college, I let it grow long. After that, somewhere along the way I adopted a kind of page-boy with a side part, and that was my hair style for a long, long time. I didn’t fuss with it, just wash and dry, regular trims, no big deal. Then I had to have chemo, and suddenly my hair – or its impending loss -- seemed like a very big deal. When it started to come out, my friend shaved my head. I got a wig, but mostly I wore scarves that the women at my church taught me to tie. When my hair grew back, I left it short. And after a second round of chemo a dozen years after the first, it stayed short, a basic wash-and-go style. 

For all of my lack of expertise with hair-styling, I’ve had some notable experiences over the years. When they were in high school, two of my young friends asked me to do their hair for prom, and it turned out fine (miracle of miracles!). One of those young women later asked me to do her hair for her wedding day. We practiced in advance, and I was able to do what she wanted. And then, she got her hair cut before the wedding. My heart was in my throat as I was figuring out what to do, but it all worked out somehow. She was beautiful, and she would have been beautiful regardless of what I did with her hair! 

Several months ago, I started “fixing” Mama’s hair after she shampooed it. As I got more practice and was doing okay with it, I felt a little more confidence. And then she could not make her last salon appointment, so I got out my good fabric scissors and cut it. It isn’t perfect, but it isn’t awful either. 

I am mindful of her hair and thankful that I can help her with it. And I am thankful, too, that Jesus is also mindful of it. “Even the hairs of your head are all counted,” he says, and it comforts me to know that he is paying even more attention to her hair than I am!