Thursday, December 28, 2006

Hair Today Gone Tomorrow

When LO lived in the orphanage in China, they shaved her head. On the day that I was blessed with her as my daughter, her hair couldn't have been 1/2 inch long. Because of this, I have always had a hard time cutting her hair. (It also doesn't help that she has the most beautiful straight, jet black, silky, shiny Asian hair!)

She has always been fond of her hair and I have to giggle at how many times I have found her standing in front of the mirror admiring her hair. So it came as a surprise to me when she talked about cutting her hair. Apparently she was influenced by another friend who had just cut off several inches of her hair.

This was the perfect opportunity for me to bring up Locks of Love, the organization who makes wigs for children who have lost their hair due to medical reasons. The minimum donation is 10 inches and while I wasn't sure I could sell LO into cutting it that short, I was pretty sure I could sell her on the idea of helping a child who was sick. As soon as I explained to her about the organization, she immediately said she wanted to cut her hair and has been asking me if we can cut it every day since then. And so tonight we had her hair cut. Her ponytail was just shy of 12 inches. I'm so proud of her and the fact that her compassion is stronger than her vanity.

14 comments:

torontopearl said...

You are definitely raising a
"mitzvah maidel". Good for you...and GOOD FOR HER. Beautiful thing she did with her beautiful hair. Definitely a reason for a proud mom to smile.

RaggedyMom said...

I think she looks so classy and sophisticated with the short hair! Not to mention that it's probably easier to take care of! What a beautiful (literally) act of chessed!

Anonymous said...

I love the little hand of the hip, "yeah this is my hair" look she's giving the camera.

Did you cut it or take her somewhere to have it done?

Jack Steiner said...

Very cool.

Anonymous said...

Such a mitzvah! Hair grows back — well, most of the time (I'm looking at my own dad right now, who is rumored to have had hair in the early 70's.)

I have a friend who has done Locks of Love twice and is halfway through her third ponytail. It takes her several years!

orieyenta said...

Thanks everyone. She is quite the proud little girl today. When asked why she cut her hair, she has been telling her friends that she is helping sick children - so perhaps some of her friends will follow in her footsteps.

RM - yes, I can already see how much easier it is to take care of.

Bice - I brought her to Cartoon Cuts to have it cut. I would have cut it but I was more nervous about cutting it than she was!

YY - I have a feeling that this will not be the only time that she does this.

Anonymous said...

Hi! It's me, "The Mother" (remember the fish). Wow, you look sensational! You and Dina now look totally alike! How am I going to keep my hands off that gorgeous hair??? I guess you will be fluffing my hair a bit more too now.
LO, did you know that Joshua (my step son) did the same thing right before college? Yep, he had a full 10 inches, plus a little to spare to keep a tidy poneytail. He is halfway through his first year at college (top one of two students) and he is also halfway through with a new poneytail just waiting for completion for locks for love.
Wouldn't it be cool if your respective hair met in a hairpiece/wig for a child?
I would consider it, but who would want some frizzy mostly blonde but occasionally gray hair? To say nothing about what a 55 year old Jewish woman would look like with a 10 inch plus poneytail. Oy!! I can hear my mother putting her head in the oven as we speak.
kisses and mazol tov
Guess who???

Anonymous said...

What a great kid! Its rare that a child that ages displays such hesed. But then, apples don't fall far from the tree-

Doctor Bean said...

Wow! You're raising a good human there. Strong work!

Jessica said...

What a great kid! I can't believe how long her hair was before.

Her new do looks great!

Baleboosteh said...

LO is just adorable with both hair styles!

She not only has beautiful hair, she has a beautiful heart also!
As RaggedyMom said, what a beautiful act of chessed.

Anonymous said...

As a Jew, without hair due to genetics, I am proud to have you and Lo as MOT. Why to set the example of Chesed and great hair styles!

The Town Crier said...

kool

have popcorn will lurk said...

Beautiful. What a mitzvah!