What to do with all this hair

When I was in high school, my hair was so long it went a quarter of the way down my back. I loved it that way – and hated the idea of cutting it. I think that may have been a direct result of the fact that my mother used to insist I cut my hair short when I was in elementary school – probably so that she wouldn’t have to ‘maintain’ it for me. But as I got older, I let it grow and grow – as can be witnessed in my school pictures. Each year, my hair was longer than the year before.

But that was more than 15 years ago and ever since then I’ve grown and cut my hair to various lengths. Some years, it’s been a short, chin-length bob, other years it’s shoulder length. Some years it’s layered, other years it’s not. Some years it’s even highlighted with blonde streaks, other years it’s not. But even the year I got married and I ‘grew my hair so I could have it put up’, it didn’t get much past my shoulders before it started driving me crazy.

But lately life has been busy and for many months, I neglected my hair. In fact, the last time I had it cut was August.

Around November I started thinking it was time for a haircut. But November quickly turned into December and you know how busy December can get.

By early January, my hair was really getting long. But surprisingly, it wasn’t driving me crazy and surprisingly people kept complimenting me on it. After awhile, I stopped responding by saying “it’s long out of shear laziness” and started just saying thanks.

Now it’s March – and honestly, my hair is as long as it was in my high school days – maybe longer. And because of this pregnancy and all the awesome hormones that rush through my body, it’s healthy and shiny and thick – things it never was when long before. And it just keeps getting longer because it grows so damn fast.

And to be honest, I kind of like it like this – even if it isn’t what’s ‘in style’ right now.

But I know, once the hormones slow down and the sleepless nights kick in, it’ll go limp and bland and the thickness will start to fall out.

So, I made a decision.

For the next month or so, I’m going to enjoy my long, shiny hair. I’ll wear it straight or curly, up or down. And then, sometime in May or June – just when it starts to drive me crazy – I’m going to cut it all off and donate it so it can be made into a wig for cancer patients. Hair only needs to be eight inches long to donate and I’m pretty sure my ponytail is longer than eight inches right now.

I’ll probably go with the Pantene campaign, only because it benefits the Canadian Cancer Society.

I figure by actually putting this in writing – I’m more likely to go through with it.

Besides, I heard on the radio the other day, that what is ‘in style’ right now is the bob, thanks to the likes of Katie Holmes.