Five in the bathroom... Four treasures and this Mama. They're brushing teeth, I'm brushing oldest girl's hair and Siah says, "Can you tell us about Grandma Sherry?"
They never got to meet her and every once in a while they want to know her... and I love to share every detail that they're willing to listen too.
I think long... trying to come up with some great memory... one that would build on their library of memories of her... but I'm brushing hair, right? So the only thing that comes to mind is...
"Well, when she was sick, she lost ALL of her hair."
Siah chuckles.
Halee inquires,
"Where did all her hair go?"
"Well, the medicine she was taking made all her hair fall out. But she wore wigs that made her look like she had hair."
"What's a wig Mama?"
"Well, people who have really long hair can give their hair to a place that turns their hair into wigs for people who don't have any hair."
She ponders for a brief moment.
"Can I give somebody my hair... it's really long?"
(And right then, I realize how vein I must really be, because all I could think about was how sad it would be if her beautiful long blonde hair was gone.
"I guess you could Hal. But your hair is so beautiful. Are you sure you would want to cut it all off? It would be soo short! You might be sad."
And here's when the tears start to fall from my eyes...
"I know mom," she says. "But it would make the people without hair feel pretty."
She's FOUR!!!!
Goodness me. Thank you Lord for her thoughtful, loving heart!
**********
So today I called ahead to the salon that I like to take Siah to, to see if they participate in "Locks of Love." And they do. I totally lost it on the phone trying to explain to the woman on the other line that my four year old wanted to donate her hair.
On the car ride there I gave myself a pep talk... "NO CRYING at the salon."
No such luck... I walk in and tell the woman at the desk that we have an appointment at noon. She looks at Halee and says, "So you're the little girl who wants to donate her hair?"
Hal nods and smiles. The lady looks up at me, "So how did she come to this decision?" I start out strong and fully composed for the first 30 seconds... then it all comes falling out...
"We were in the bathroom...
My mom... Cancer...
No hair...
She wants to give...
She says it will help them feel beautiful."
Sob, sob, sob.
Hal gets up in the chair all brave.
I take this before picture with my phone... I'm so bummed cuz my phone camera takes blurry pictures even if someone moves only slightly. So the only picture that came out not blurry she's not even smiling... which is such a bummer cuz she was smiling from ear to ear almost the entire time that we were there. :)
Then just before their about to cut off her long braid I whisper loud, "Grandma Sherry would be so proud of you."
Then two ladies sitting close to Hal start crying... and of course I'm crying.
Hal looks around at all the crying ladies all confused... "Why is everyone crying Mama."
"Nothing Hal... We're just a bunch of emotional Mamas that are super proud of you, that's all." :)
So here's my beautiful Hal. She is most certainly beautiful with her new haircut. But what I love most is her beautiful heart for others. :)
After the haircut extravaganza, we went next door to subway to grab some lunch. At church yesterday they handed out these little business size cards to everyone, including the kids. We all sit down to eat our sandwiches and Siah whips his card out of his back pocket and casually suggests, "anyone wanna memorize 1:9 while we're eating?"
I chuckle a little... Where did he come from? :)
I ask to see his card and I read the back of the card with the challenge for the week on it out loud but to myself...
"Deliver love somewhere it has not yet arrived. (Ask God where you might do some radical act of love. )"
I think about it for a sec and then realize, that's exactly what Hal did today. She delivered love to someone who needed it most.
What a day with my precious treasure?
All this... from a simple conversation in the bathroom. :)
