I've let my long hair go uncut for far too...long. (Forgive me, hair is absorbing the brain power needed right now for these grammarly conundrums.) It's not just to the the getting-in-the-way, split-ends-hair point, but way beyond to the hair-that-has-become-an-entity point.
I don't cry about hair. It grows back. I've listened to friends talk about attachment to their hair on more than one occasion without true empathy. However, my decision to cut my hair this time feels the hardest ever. I've tried talking myself into it so many times, often publicly, saying how it's always in the way, and not entirely truthfully, that I'm sick of it. I want to be sick of it. For health reasons I've resolved not to dye my hair, so as it grows strand by strand grayer, I know this will probably be the the last time I have hair this long. It takes a special kind of person to pull off a long silver mane, and I'm not it. Frankly, I really don't like shutting doors on parts of my life. I may even be game to try that silver mane. But my dear husband has been at first hinting, and now begging me to get my hair cut daily, even going so far as to suggest cutting it himself. It must be really bad. Right?
Since this week is Eli's (36th!) birthday I'm surprising him with a haircut. I asked my wonderful mother-in-law, Pam, to sit with the boys for an afternoon, secretly, while I get it cut. I'll be a big girl. I won't cry. After all, it's not my birthday. (Pun intended...go ahead and shake your head.) Here are the last photos of the mane.
And so it begins.
May 20
Err...trying to hold in the mummy tummy...
Which kind of reminds me of...
History is repeating itself. Except for those leggings. They can stay back in 1991.
Wow I had no idea your hair was that long!! Beautiful for sure. It must be a shock now when you wash and comb it! I had my hair cut 10 inches year and a half ago. It was the weirdest thing putting it in a ponytail because my hair ended so quickly! It was never as long as yours though. I hope Eli likes it :)
ReplyDeleteOne of the great things about having light hair, when I see a few gray ones they blend in perfectly with the blonder strands. My little sister was coloring individual gray strands in her hair with a sharpie marker for a little while! Ha! We have an early gray gene in our family. My oldest brother is 35 and he is almost totally white. My mom was white by 30 as well.
Thank you, Carolyn... I've cut my "beauty-routine" time in half! And I still waste so much shampoo! I keep forgetting not to use so much! Eli loves it... :) He said "Let's just keep it this way from now on, m'kay?"
DeleteYou are lucky being blond with the gray situation! I had to laugh at your Sharpie comment. I remember my Dad doing that to the gray in his mustache before a wedding when I was younger!
I wish I could get away with not coloring my hair. I have seriously gotten tons of gray in the past few years (hmmm...I wonder why!) and with dark hair it is so noticeable. :(
ReplyDeleteI love your new hair cut! I also loved your long hair though! Does Eli not like long? What does he think of your short cut? It's quite a change from before!
I've seen dark haired ladies highlight their hair with a couple different colors until there was enough gray to just let it go. It made the transition easier for them? Each new gray hair I find though I keep thinking I don't want to look older than I am! I've definitely felt the pull to dye it lately. But we've earned every one of our gray hairs, Beth! You especially!
DeleteAnd thank you! Eli says he loves it any way I have it, but I think his preference is this short. The hair ropes he pulls out of the back of his recliner might have something to do with it.... :)