Hair

It was almost 17 months ago that we brought Riley home from the hospital. I though for sure she was going to be bald, but alas, she had a full head of brown hair.

It has grown, with auburn and brown highlights and I can now create two pigtails with Riley's hair!

Hair also makes me think of my friend from high school, Christy. She is only 28 and is battling a rare and aggressive form of cancer, Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Through two rounds of chemo, she has lost her hair not once, but twice. I am grateful to not only have healthy child with whom I can adorn with pigtails, but for a chance to have a friend like Christy in my life. She teaches me about strength, love, compassion, and laughter. We have been friends since high school and I have always admired her long, curly locks, her spunk, and her drama skills. We were involved in many theatre productions together and she truly is a triple threat.

Hair is a big deal. Most people remark when you get a hair cut, "I like how it looks," or as one of my old boyfriend's once told his mom, "I think Jamie's hair is orange." Auburn people. auburn. But most importantly, it's not the color, length, or style, it's the people around you who are strong enough to chop off all of their own locks, as Christy's cousin did, as a sign of support, gratitude, and most importantly, love.