Thursday, July 8, 2010

A Rite of Passage

My friend just told me a cute story about her granddaughter cutting her own hair. That reminded me of my daughter, Sarah, cutting her hair two days before her older brother Mikie's first communion.

She was about five and she had the most luxurious thick brown hair. Apparently, she wanted bangs because she cut a swatch out in the front. But, not really understanding hair cutting techniques, she snipped close to the scalp.

The only thing my sister, Laura, the family beautician, could do was give her a "spike" hairdo, which at the time was wildly popular.

So Sunday for Mikie's first communion, we walked into the church with a little girl who could have been a little boy. I tried dressing her in pink, but the hairdo didn't go well with a dress, so we were stuck with a pink "peanut suit" and even in pink she looked like a boy.

The funny part of it was she was proud of herself. She liked her new short hair and believed that her liking the new do made everything she'd done to get it okay. For years we couldn't risk letting her alone with scissors!

My friend's story ended a little differently. Her granddaughter Payton ended up in the very same beautician's chair that her mother Amy had sat in when she cut her own hair. The beautician was the daughter of the beautician who had straightened out the mess Amy had made of her hair.

They laughed remembering Amy's self-inflicted buzz cut. But we were struck by the sense of continuity and tradition in one silly act. All little girls must cut their own hair, but only in a small town can you end up in the same beautician's chair to get it straightened out!


susan

Don't forget MAID FOR THE MILLIONAIRE should be in stores next week.

1 comment:

Denise said...

Susan, cute blog. I can just picture Sarah in her pink outift and spiked hair at Mikey's first communion.

I just have to clear up one thing regarding Amy's haircut or she'll never forgive me. She didn't cut it, her brother and the little girl who lived next door cut it. In fact, they cut it so short the beautician was amazed they hadn't nicked her skin.

I have to admit I love it that the beautician who fixed Amy's daughter Peyton's self-inflicted hairdo the other night is the daughter of the very beautician who saved Amy all of those years ago. Such is life in a very small town. :)

Thanks for the reminder about Maid For The Millionaire. I want to pick up several copies as soon as it hits the shelves here. Your books make great gifts and I'm starting to stock up for the holidays.