Sacrifice

To sacrifice is not something a teenager normally does willingly. My daughter had 13 inches of her hair cut off for Locks of Love. Getting one's hair cut is not something someone would normally regard as a sacrifice. Unless you're someone who likes their hair long as my daughter does. Getting her hair cut is almost like running around without clothes on. Not only did she make this sacrifice once, but this is the 2nd time she's done it.

When my daughter was about 9 I had a friend who found out she had breast cancer. She found out right before summer. She had a lumpectomy and then went right into chemo therapy. We talked about the fact that she'd lose her hair. She is like me pretty matter of fact. Why worry about something you don't have control of. Just go with the flow and make the best of it. I found a pattern to make a scarf like hat and made her about 5 in different fabrics I thought she'd like. I drove her kids and my kids to day camp, so she could have some time to herself knowing the kids were having fun. I drove her to chemo therapy treatments when her husband couldn't. I even drank shots of wheat grass at Jamba Juice with her as was her after chemo ritual.

It was my daughter though I think that made the most thoughtful gesture in donating a part of herself.... her beloved pony tail. She was 9 years old and already thinking of others. I have to admit she's always been a kind soul. In preschool I called her my Goodwill Ambassador. She broke up fights, mended hurt feelings and help injured students to the office and she was only 4.

She found out about Locks of Love during my friends ordeal. When she heard about their program of taking donated hair and having wigs made for children who have lost their hair she was in. We went to a salon that advertised a free hair cut and they'd mail in the donated pony tail. The length of the pony tail was to be 10 inches. The hairdresser said let's make it 12 inches to be safe. SNIP! My daughter wasn't expecting her hair to be up to her ears. More like shoulder length. She got an adorable hair style. About 2 months later I asked if she wanted to go trim up her cute doo and she said, "No Mom I'm growing it out for Locks of Love."

So, it's been 5 years of growing. She said she wanted to make sure it was good and long so it wouldn't be up to her ears this time. I said I would cut the pony tail before we went. No she wanted the hair dresser to do it. The hair dresser is the mother of her soccer team mate. She really likes her and trusts her. We get to the salon for her appointment. This time I'm helping with the measuring as my daughter had called me over for help. First thing the hair dresser did before we could holler "NO!" was snip off 2 inches of the bottom of her pony tail declaring it too whispy. Then we measured the 11 inches of hair to make sure it would be long enough. I just shrugged my shoulders, smiled at my daughter. and said, "Good thing your hair grows really fast. I've been teaching her not to worry about things we have no control over too.

The hairdresser cut her hair exactly as a picture my daughter, the artist, had drawn. With my daughter's natural waves the hairdo looks great. After the initial first week of shock my daughter has gotten use to it and loves it too. After a few weeks past I said we should make an appointment to get your hair trimmed. She said, "No mom I'm growing it out for Locks of Love."