Dear precious child who wears my hair,
Those locks may not seem like much, but there is life in my hair. I am not just giving you a wig to cover your beautiful bare scalp; I am giving you memories to have as your own. Many moments you may not have experienced in your little sick world of medicine and hospital stays.
You are officially a part of me, and I am a part of you. Therefore, you behold the life I lived and the part of me that remembers. I take on your suffering and your suffocating existence of illness. We have a bond, through this gift. This piece of me holds all the days I lived for the past few years. And as I relinquish it to you, I in turn, embrace your young and innocent heart and bear your burden too. I want to give you life, most of all. So I pray you can experience it through my hair. And I will hold onto the hope that you too, will have these moments soon for yourself, and live the life you were meant to live…
My sun soaked locks have spent countless days outside in the fresh air.
They have witnessed beautiful radiant beams of light and laughter, at parks and playgrounds and sporting events.
There may be dirt engrained in the strands from trails of landscape and creeks that I have walked.
You may feel gritty sand from beaches and perhaps taste salt from the sea.
The smoky smell may linger from bonfires and cookouts, fireworks and parties.
Please forgive the pungent sting of chlorine, but take in the swell of excitement going down the spiraling water slide for endless hours at the pool.
There may be glitter left from costumes donned on Halloween nights, and smell of pine from Christmas trees to confetti thrown on New Year’s Eve.
Perhaps exhaust still permeates these strands, from traveling near and far.
There’s sure to be leftover perfume spray from festive formal affairs.
The pungent odor of animals from safaris may remind you of wildlife I was blessed to see.
And you may delight in the greasy sweet aroma of cotton candy and funnel cakes from the hot summer fairs.
The smelly sweat may linger too, mixed with humid air.
Please forgive the gray shimmers that whisper my age, consider them to be new-found wisdom that has grown through the years!
So much life soaked into every strand. Is now yours… relive those days in your precious heart as best you can, until your time comes. And all I wish for you, is that YOU will experience these moments too.
I will always have you in my heart and on my mind, wondering how you look and wondering how you shine…
Oh sweet one, I will pray for you each time I comb my hair.
Ten inches shorter now, those locks no longer there.
Those grays you see, will forever be
The hope that you’ll grow old.
You’ll then not need these locks from me-
You’ll live more life to hold…
But if He calls you home too soon,
His Loving Light You’ll See.
Heaven’s Gates just couldn’t wait.
To finally set you free…
God counts the hairs on my head, and now He counts yours too.
And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Matthew 10:30
God is with you, precious one.
And so am I.
Beautiful! I can envision that precious gift blessing the recipient and feeling all the love and life that your locks have “lived”!
Thanks love! It really was profoundly personal for me… I didn’t see that coming, until it hit me on the way home from Becky’s with my hair on the passenger seat next to me.
I love you so much for donating your hair. I’ve always wanted to do this. And I love all of the hopes you have for the recipient. You are so generous and full of love. I want a photo of your new ‘do by the way. xo
Thanks love! I seriously went back and forth about sharing a picture of my new hair, and I really didn’t think it was appropriate- because this post wasn’t about me, it was about the precious child… make sense? I didn’t want the focus to be on me. That would feel selfish…
My friend did post a picture on my fb page when I got it done last week!! I HATE pictures of me anyway- ugh. But I will dig it up and share it again… 🙂
A wonderful gift to give. I donated years ago and love seeing others do so. Your wishes for the recipient are beautiful.
Thanks so much Denise!! It feels so good to give… and it deeply touched me more than I expected. It was very personal. I am sure you felt the same way! 🙂
You are such a giving person, Chris. I love it. I want to see a photo of the new cut too!
I really struggled with deciding if I should share a picture of my new hair cut, but I didn’t want the focus to be on me. I wanted it to be on the child, and the heartbreak of cancer…
I will dig up a picture and post on FB!! 🙂
This is an amazing post, my friend. Your words, so sweet, so loving. Your act, so kind and giving. I think of my dear friend who had need of a wig a few years back. God bless you for your gift that will mean more to someone than you will ever know.
I didn’t realize how personal it would be when I was playing with the idea of doing it! Then it all hit me… my hair really is a part of my life and of me. And my heart broke into many pieces thinking of the child who didn’t get to live the life I have.
So beautiful. I love that you did this. I love all of the memories and gifts wrapped up in your hair (yes, even the beautiful grays) that you are giving. Truly a gift.
I cried at the PO when I sent it… I sat in my car in the parking lot and tearfully prayed for the recipient with my kids. This was so much more personal and powerful than I imagined it would be. Still struck by it all. And profoundly affected.
you are awesome!!! My daughter just did this last year, I just need to have the courage to get rid of mine, inspiration as always. I agree with Jersey girl, we do need a pic of new do!
It had been on my mind, knowing I was in desperate need of a cut and thinking “I wonder if my hair is long enough to donate?” When my friend cutting it said yes- I debated with fright at the change, then it truly hit me.
I was convicted in my vain hesitancy as I realized the plight of the child that would receive it. I let go of two or three years of growing it, because I had two or three years more to grow it back.
SO proud of your daughter!!! What a gift, she gave!!! Love that. 🙂
Just when I think your heart and your talent has reached the absolute highest, you prove me wrong. I am a little speechless at the beauty in this post and am so grateful that I have you as one of my prayer friends, bloggy friends, outside of blogging friends and pretty soon sit by the pool and veg friends (we need to start planning so I can start saving). Love, love, love you!
And just when I think you couldn’t encourage and support and love me more, you make me leap with joy and cry tears of gratitude for you and how much you FILL me up.
Seriously- we NEED to plan something asap. I think we should all hit Ilene’s place for a weekend!! Wouldn’t that be a HOOT??!!
What a beautiful piece of writing! Such a tribute to our lives through the micro hairs on our head that only God knows in number. Love your style!
And I LOVE your beautiful comment Karmen!!! Thank you for blessing ME today. 🙂
Beautiful post. The poem at the end brought tears to my eyes. Just a small reminder of how beautiful your heart is. And you look beeeautiful in your short and sassy new look!
Thanks bestie. I couldn’t believe how personal and powerful doing this small act of kindness was to me. It truly YANKED me out of myself and into the precious life of the child who suffers and doesn’t get to have the life my ‘hair lived’…
Profound. Breaks my heart into many many pieces. The kids and I prayed in the parking lot of the PO when I sent it off- I was a blubbering mess!
“God counts the hairs on my head, and now He counts yours too.” Beautiful. Perfect. Thanks for doing this and thanks for sharing!
Thanks so much love… I can’t tell you how profound this experience was for me. I didn’t expect it to be so- but it was.
This is so very beautiful.
I donated my hair a couple of year ago, as did my daughter, and she just donated hers again for her birthday. It is such a blessing to be able to share that gift with a child.
Oh Tracie!!! That is AWESOME!!!! What a gift you and your daughter are to this need and this precious cause!! You are amazing… 🙂
A beautiful gesture and a beautiful post!
Thanks so much for your sweet encouragement Lisa!! I am so grateful you stopped by. 🙂
This is absolutely stunning. I love that you did this and the letter you wrote is completely beautiful and perfect. Would love to see the photo of you with the 10″ shorter locks, too!
AW!! Thanks SO much my friend!!! I didn’t know how profound this would be- it really affected me, knowing and realizing where my hair was going…
I thought about sharing an “after” picture, but I didn’t want the focus to be on me- I realized it’s really not about me at all.
BUT- I will share a picture on fb!!!
What a beautiful gift you are giving!!! You are such a kind and generous person. I love the poem – just beautiful. Can’t wait to see your new “do”!!!
Thanks SO much Leah!!! I had no idea how this would really affect me- it became very personal, and the realization of who was going to receive my hair broke my heart in pieces…
I thought about sharing a picture of me, and then truly didn’t want the focus to be on me. This was not about me, it was about a precious child who is suffering somewhere out there…
And now I’m sobbing. This was just so lovely and touching, Chris. You are truly a beautiful person inside and out. What a lovely gift to give. I’m in awe of you! –Lisa
I love you Lisa. Just plain love you to pieces!!! Ya know, I was so profoundly affected by this small gesture. It’s a common thing, to donate hair- and I had no idea how powerful and personal it would be. The realization of who it was going to struck me and broke my heart…
What a beautiful thing to do, way to go!! Can’t wait to see your new look!
I didn’t realize how profound it would be Candy! It hit me…hard, just where my hair was going, and my heart broke in pieces.
Such a small thing, for a mighty passionate cause.
You have a beautiful way with words. And a way of making me cry. And a precious, kind heart. 🙂
Thanks lovee.. your words mean the WORLD to me. XO
A good friend of mine gave her hair to Locks of Love too. Parting was such sweet sorrow, but she knew the blessing it would be to a girl somewhere. Bravo to you for doing that, Chris!
It was this fleeting thought and when my friend said I had enough hair to donate, I also hesitated in vain. Then it truly hit me HARD. My hair will grow back- I get to grow it, and live to see it grow back. How could I NOT do it?
THEN- while driving home with my hair on my seat (that sounds funny!) I started to cry, realizing where it was going… and the life I lived with this part of me that I am giving to a child somewhere who didn’t get to live the same way… Profound.
Oh Chris, this is so precious. I love how you share the experiences of your hair…it definitely connects you to the beautiful child that will have a part of you. Oh, and I love the prayer. If your tools aren’t being used the way God intended, then I’m crazy…and I’m not crazy. You have a way with words to touch deep inside the heart.
Thank you thank you thank you… I want to frame your comment and stick it on a wall where I can read it daily. You don’t know how much your encouragement means to me, Hope. SO blessed by YOU. XO
So very beautiful!
Thanks so much Shell! XO
Gorgeous. What generosity of spirit.
Thanks SO much Natalie! 🙂
Awwww Chris!! This is so beautiful!! I just love how you selflessly give of yourself! Just when I thought you had topped it all, you weren’t finished! What a precious gift(that we often take for granted), to give to someone who I’m sure will squeal with delight when she receives it! Thanks my friend for making someone else’s day! Love you girl! 😉
Aw! You are just too kind lady!!! Thank you SO much for your sweet words. They just light me up!! – It truly was an honor to be able to do it. A profound and humbling and convicting experience. 🙂 XO
Stunning, Chris. And just so absolutely like you.
I’ve donated to Locks of Love – cut 14 inches a few months after our wedding. I can’t say I had quite the experience you did, but it was sobering to think of how much I had to give when some have none.
You are amazing and I loved this. XOXO
WOW Lisa!! 14 inches. SO amazing. Thank you so much for your beautiful encouragement and for coming by to read this!! <3
Is it ok if I use most of this letter on an Instagram post? With the very well deserved credit of course
Paublova, thanks so much for reaching out to me! I’d be honored if you shared this on IG. <3