by LYNN HAMMER
Such fun! I love getting my hair cut! Don’t you? But this time, I waited two years to do it, so it meant a little bit more this time around. It also meant more because I donated my hair to Locks of Love. It felt good. But I didn’t do it to feel good. I did it to help someone else feel good.
So what is it about hair? People go nuts over their hair and spend lots of money trying to make theirs look just right. It makes us feel good when we look nice. Looks are highly valued in our society, and having great hair is a huge part of that. So when kids struggle with alopecia areata (loss of hair), or a mom loses hers because of chemotherapy, it’s tough stuff. I’m pretty sure it would be difficult for me to go out in public without hair on top of my head, which is why I was motivated to grow mine long. All I had to do was NOT get my hair cut. I wanted to donate it. Locks of Love and other similar organizations make wigs out of real hair for people who need them. Easy, right?
But in the end, it wasn’t all that easy. I had become rather fond of my long hair. I had received many compliments on how pretty my hair was. And it was actually easier to take care of.
Something I started doing because it was no big deal, turned out to be a sacrifice. I liked my long hair in the end. But you know what? This decision I made two years ago, to forgo haircuts, to do something good for others, turned out to be really good for me. When you give of yourself sacrificially, it feels even better. Oh, but that’s right. I did it so someone else would feel better.
I could have just written a check. But I think the lesson I learned is that when you give of yourself, it means so much more. The more you give, the more you get. And I got it good.
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