Hair care

I can think of at least two movies in which women radically changed their hairstyles as a mark of a new stage in their lives. One was Waiting to Exhale. Angela Bassett's character goes from long, flowing hair to a very short cut after her husband leaves her. The other was Sliding Doors, with the same change (long to short) along with a color change for Gwyneth Paltrow's character after she breaks up with her boyfriend.

I've been through a few. Just to go back to my early 40s, I was without regular employment, and therefore without regular income. I grew very long hair without much intention just by not having enough money to go to the hair salon.



After I became a legal assistant, I got my hair cut. I pretty much stuck with shoulder-length, more or less, first with bangs and then growing them out, and gradually I colored my hair. I would go more dark red in the winter and more strawberry blond in the summer. Going to the hair salon every six to eight weeks was a symbol to me of my prosperity.



In July, 2016, my mom went to the hospital. I had to cancel a hair appointment because I was taken up with my concern for her. I never rescheduled. My mom went from the hospital to a skilled nursing facility, my dad moved into the assisted living facility next door to hers, my mom went into hospice care, my dad became more ill and weak, my dad went to the hospital and then to the skilled nursing facility, my dad went into hospice care, my dad died, and my mom died. By that time, it was April, 2017, and I had not had my hair professionally done in nearly a year. It was getting long, with blond ends and darker root (but the "roots" were pretty long, too).



I went to Super-Cheap Clips & Cuts, or whatever it's called, and had it cut to shoulder length. That took away most of the blond, but there still was an inch or two. Finally yesterday I went back to Super-Cheap and had it cut again. There may still be a fraction of an inch of color, but mostly the artificial color is gone.



This current haircut symbolizes my desire to simplify my life. I'm ready to go gray, if it's time for that. (Hiding gray was never the reason for my coloring; I colored because I thought my own color was uninteresting.) I'm going to let it grow. I look forward to being able to put it in a simple french braid or some easy updo. No fuss.

Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. (I Peter 3:3-4)