July 31, 2005

HAIR

I've only donated blood once. I was in college and it was quite an ordeal. First, they said I was borderline anemic, so they had to run some tests to see if they even wanted my blood. Turns out it was OK, so they hooked me up to the bag and started draining my arm. I guess they need the bag and also three little vials of blood; on the third vial, somehow the needle popped out of my arm and blood squirted everywhere. After that unique experience, I was leery about giving blood, and then I started hopping back and forth to Europe every year or so, so it was never an issue. So I don't really donate blood.

But I can donate hair.

When I had been dating my husband for a week, I cut my hair short. Like short short. After the look on his face, I didn't cut my hair again for five years. At first it became a Lord of the Rings joke: I was going to look like an elf. After Return of the King was over, I turned to him and said, "Now what?" I guess I had grown so attached to the hair that it scared me to cut it.

I had always intended to donate my hair, but then it became a quest to donate as much as I could. It grew and grew, and the more it grew, the more annoyed my husband and I grew towards it. It was always in our mouths, getting pulled, clogging the drains and the vacuum, and driving us nuts. In May I decided I was ready for a cut, but I told myself to wait a month and see if I was still ready. A month passed and I got cold feet, so I let another month go by. And I knew I was ready.

the_cut.JPG

We chopped 18 inches off, and bagged it to send to Locks of Love. I hope some little girl gets a beautiful wig from it.

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm going to start all over again. I don't know; I'm really enjoying the short hair:

1. no more marathon blowdrying
2. no more sitting on the hair
3. no more rolling over in bed and suffocating
4. Charlie was biting and tugging on it when it was long
5. less money spent on Draino

But since my hair grows so fast, maybe I'll get to another wig. We'll see. The husband likes it short, so for now I'm happy.

And now that I've kept you in suspense for long enough...here's the new and improved Sarah. And the getting-too-big-to-cuddle Charlie.

sarah_charlie.JPG

Posted by Sarah at July 31, 2005 08:28 AM | TrackBack
Comments

BEAUTIFUL! I love it!

Posted by: H. Sims at July 31, 2005 03:24 PM

Looks great! What a wonderful thing to do, you've made some little girl feel like a princess.

Posted by: Jamie at July 31, 2005 04:23 PM

Your hair looks great!

Posted by: J and Erin at July 31, 2005 05:08 PM

You hair looks great and that dog still looks cuddly to me. What a doll.

Posted by: Ruth H at July 31, 2005 07:07 PM

Wow...you managed to chop off a few years too...you're going to get carded! (I on the other hand keep on being asked if I am the mother of the two 14-year-old girls I am taking care of this summer.) You look great! Very cute cut.

Posted by: CaliValleyGirl at July 31, 2005 08:12 PM

You and Charlie look so cute! I want to hug you both!
Your mama

Posted by: Nancy at July 31, 2005 10:46 PM

You look fantastic with your hair that length -- and Charlie is a little sweetie :-)

Most of all, some little girl will have your beautiful hair for a wig ... a true Win-Win!

Posted by: Barb at July 31, 2005 11:21 PM

What a beautiful young woman you are - inside and out! The gift of your hair is wonderful. I can't manage the hair thing myself - I am old and gray! But I do donate blood. Not so bad - sorry your experience with that was not a good one. Everyone can find a way to make a difference, and yours is a sure thing! Thanks for sharing!

Posted by: JCK at July 31, 2005 11:50 PM

I have to say that I love it too! Very cute and what a beautiful smile to match!

Posted by: Angie Dente at July 31, 2005 11:55 PM

Wow Sarah. You've done a great thing. There's nothing like a new haircut to give you a different outlook on life - and now you've given that gift to someone else. Congrats. It looks GREAT!

Posted by: Kathleen A at August 1, 2005 12:58 AM

It looks great!! I bet it is alot cooler for these "hot" summer months.

Posted by: jenn and casey at August 1, 2005 08:25 PM

My daughter has donated her hair before, starting at age 9. When I was diagnosed with cancer last year and went through chemo, it meant so much more to her. Just knowing that she might be helping someone who was struggling made her so proud! Thank you, Sarah, for your wonderful gift. We who need it really appreciate efforts such as yours.

Posted by: heidi at August 5, 2005 08:39 PM

How sweet of you. The new look is really cute.

Posted by: NYgirl at August 16, 2005 03:34 AM