8 for 8

Readers, this Fall Break was amazing – filled with family, friends, and birthday fun (October 1 was my birthday)! However, probably the biggest highlight of break for me wasn’t the birthday carrot cake my mom got me or that I got to see my Golden Retriever, it was that I cut my hair.

I really started to feel God weigh my hair on my heart at the beginning of this semester. Let me give you all a little background on the life of my hair: I was three years old the last time it was just below my ears, and my summer “haircut” every year consisted of getting 1/4th of an inch cut off for dead ends. I’ve always had long hair and I’ve always loved it. Truthfully, the thought of cutting it all off was terrifying until recently. Because, if there was one feature I could always rely on, it was my hair. My face may have sprouted a zillion pimples and my eyebrows might not have been combed down from the previous night’s sleep, but my hair always looked good. Even if I just rolled out of bed, I was blessed with good hair. Long good hair. And I was scared to lose that.

And so my hair became my security blanket. Unfortunately, because it was my security blanket, I grew an unhealthy attachment to it. It turned into something I put a lot of time into – time I should’ve spent doing other things. My hair became my beauty standard for myself. Every day I would look in the mirror and know that I had at least my hair to keep me looking good in candid photos, should any be taken. I’ve come to realize that’s how I wanted people to know me, and I was totally living into that. I don’t want people to know me for my faith or my passions or my smile, but my hair. How materialistic is that?

And so I decided to chop. More accurately, donate. I realized when the summer came to a close, I was so tired of worshiping my empty beauty standard, and decided to worship a God that was more fulfilling. He provides and filled me right up with His enduring word. I lost the attachment to my hair and haven’t given it a second thought since. I looked up hair donation agencies and decided to give my hair to the Pantene Beautiful Lengths program. My 8-inch pony tail that I donated will join 8 others in making a wig for a cancer patient – 8 for 8 – and gives it to them absolutely free.

This was the length difference before and after my hair was cut. Crazy!

And this was how long the pony tail was! WOAH

It’s going to take some getting used to, but my new short hair has given someone with no hair hope, and that’s the best feeling.

Until next time readers!

Questions about what I wrote or want to talk about what I did? Check the bio and lets talk 🙂