Alopecia World
www.alopeciaworld.com
Out of the Mouths of Babes
Today I decided to have the big chop. To stop hanging onto the straggly few long hairs I had hanging sadly down my back and proactively face this thing called Alopecia. It was very liberating to see the hair falling and know it was at MY hand and I was in control.
So, feeling fantastic, with a lovely red bandanna covering the balding spot I went off to fetch my kids (7, 5 and 21 months) from school. They each had a friend to play, so in my car, I had 6 kids and my daughter (7) says "Mum - you've cut your hair!" to which I reply "Yep, I have!". She then says to her friend, "I don't know WHY my mum bothered to cut her hair. It's falling out and her fake hair is SO much better!" I nearly crashed into a tree, I laughed so hard! OUTED by my child to her friends. There I was, pussyfooting around, worrying about how my wearing bandannas and getting a wig was impacting the kids and they are MORE than okay with this whole process. When we got home, they all wanted to see the wig, so I showed them and they oohed and aahed and tried it on and wanted to know whose hair it was and didn't the "kind lady who donated it" miss it? They were so worried that she was now bald.
The more I face this Alopecia Monster, the more I am starting to think it's not such a monster in the end. Sure it's taking my hair. But it's giving me a really beautiful view of myself, my life, my blessings. It's giving me the opportunity to reinvent myself and a perfect excuse to be blonde/brunette/shaggy/curly/long/short as and if I please. It's giving me a chance to teach my children BY DOING, not telling, that who we are is important. Our weight, our hair, our teeth - hell, they're just incidental.
Yep - Alopecia is changing from the Monster into the Mirror. It's making me really look at myself long and hard. And I think I kind like what I see.
So, feeling fantastic, with a lovely red bandanna covering the balding spot I went off to fetch my kids (7, 5 and 21 months) from school. They each had a friend to play, so in my car, I had 6 kids and my daughter (7) says "Mum - you've cut your hair!" to which I reply "Yep, I have!". She then says to her friend, "I don't know WHY my mum bothered to cut her hair. It's falling out and her fake hair is SO much better!" I nearly crashed into a tree, I laughed so hard! OUTED by my child to her friends. There I was, pussyfooting around, worrying about how my wearing bandannas and getting a wig was impacting the kids and they are MORE than okay with this whole process. When we got home, they all wanted to see the wig, so I showed them and they oohed and aahed and tried it on and wanted to know whose hair it was and didn't the "kind lady who donated it" miss it? They were so worried that she was now bald.
The more I face this Alopecia Monster, the more I am starting to think it's not such a monster in the end. Sure it's taking my hair. But it's giving me a really beautiful view of myself, my life, my blessings. It's giving me the opportunity to reinvent myself and a perfect excuse to be blonde/brunette/shaggy/curly/long/short as and if I please. It's giving me a chance to teach my children BY DOING, not telling, that who we are is important. Our weight, our hair, our teeth - hell, they're just incidental.
Yep - Alopecia is changing from the Monster into the Mirror. It's making me really look at myself long and hard. And I think I kind like what I see.
-
Comment by Natalie on May 25, 2010 at 10:34am
-
What a great story! Congrats on having the courage to face alopecia head on and with a smile :) I think about what kind of impact my alopecia and baldness will have on my future children, and I honestly think it will be a positive influence in their lives by teaching them that everyone is unique. Like you said, some people are skinny, some are heavy, some have hair, some have no hair, some are missing a limb, some have a lisp, but all of those "imperfections" make us beautiful. :)
-
Comment by Tiffany P on May 25, 2010 at 4:35pm
-
Thats so cute, no one tells you like it is like kids do :o)
-
Comment by Pat Latina on May 25, 2010 at 6:29pm
-
I love your story and agree "out of the mouth of babes" we are more than just our hair. Great story, one I will remember when I'm down. :)
-
Comment by Nicola Jones on May 26, 2010 at 5:56am
-
Love it! "Incidental" is a brilliant way to decribe the unimportant bits, and I shall use that next time I'm arguing with my mother about my hair loss (she's very upset about it & I'm not!) I wish some adults would see a lot more things the way kids do ;-)
-
Comment by Michelle on May 26, 2010 at 10:38am
-
kids are so great. my son is now 3 and a few weeks ago we went and visited my dad. As most people know i love my alopecia and shaves my head everyday and refuse to wear anything on my head. so this Sunday morning we all jumped in to my dads car and went for breakfast. We got settled in and ordered coffee first. I noticed people steering, i look at them until the look at me and just smiles. so everything went well until..... my son noticed a new table steering and pointing. And before i could stop him, he jumped up and went over to the table and in a loud (you all know kids they can't talk softly) voice said "sis it is rude to steer" he turned around and went to my dad. I thought all is said and done, but then he told my dad "granddad they don't have any manors" I just started laughing. needles to say they got the bill and left. I
Comment
© 2024 Created by Alopecia World.
Powered by
You need to be a member of Alopecia World to add comments!
Join Alopecia World