Let's Talk About Hair

Warning: this truly is about hair. Fluffy and probably self-indulgent, without deep content or analogy, so if you're looking for meaning, this isn't the place today. But I'm content and happy at this moment, so I'm floating and typing in substance-less land. Enjoy!

*********

Well, so much for the hair growth video while I was on vacation! I need an expert to help me - after I sift through all my photos and pull out the right ones. How does one make such a video? I sure hope there's an app out there for that! Because I can't imagine doing it frame-by-frame, especially lining up my face in every photo and cropping accordingly. But someday, in my spare time, it'll happen.

In the meantime, I've made a Major Life Decision.

Well, not really.

But it's a big decision by American standards.

I'm keeping my hair short.

I would have never believed this. Growing up, my mom had a lot to say about how long my hair should (not) be. So when I left for college, I grew out my hair and never looked back.

Well, there was that first time I cut it off for Locks of Love. It was wedged in the back and my husband hated it.

But even then, it was past my jawline.

And I got compliments on my hair All The Time. Really, it was my crowning glory, and I was pretty nervous when I found out I would lose it to chemotherapy.

Who am I without my hair? ...Er, I mean, what will I look like?

Now, After alopecia (fancy term for hair loss), I love to reassure women who are about to lose their hair due to chemo. It's different for everyone, but I found it incredibly freeing. Not to mention the time savings when you don't have to wash and style your hair! And when you're hot during the summer, a breeze feels lovely against your scalp.

(But I have to admit, if I had to do it again, I'd get a wig for those situations when you don't want to stand out as Cancer Patient. Especially at work, especially since no one there knows I'm still in treatment.)

As my hair has grown back, much to my surprise, I'm digging the short hair! Who knew?

(Maybe my mom, since she always enforced the shorter cuts... there we go, she was right again! Perhaps we should just believe our moms more often... we could save some face down the road.)

The clincher for me was a friend's Facebook photo. She was with a group of women. Most had long hair, but a few had short hair, and I realized that I was thinking the ones with short hair looked more hip and interesting.

(Not to judge a book by it's cover, but there you go.)

So for now, I'm choosing the "hip and interesting" camp, which has the added benefit of showing off my fun earring collection. Here's my latest cut: thanks to Jennifer Lawrence for the inspiration!