It's Just Hair

I often get comments on my very short hair and the most common one from women is, "I wish I could wear mine like that." Usually I just smile and say thank you. I may add something to the effect of, "Why not just try it, what have you got to loose? It's just hair and it'll grow back if you don't like it." Occasionally I will tell the person the story of how mine came to be. One September morning in 1995 I awoke with a very strong sense that I should get my shoulder length hair cut short. I had not been contemplating that nor did I have any idea of what that might look like. The feeling was so strong that I called my mother's friend, a hairstylist in my neighbourhood who had very short hair herself and asked if I could come to her salon that very morning. When I arrived she asked what the cut should look like and I replied, "Just short." She pressed, asking if I had any pictures or photos to show her. I didn't. Well, she cut away and I left with very short hair indeed. I felt great about it but because I hadn't told my husband or three children about it, it was a bit of a shock to them. Well, as it turned out, two months later I was diagnosed with cancer, stage three Hodgkin's Lymphoma, and two months after that, my hair was falling out due to the chemo treatments. By following through on my intuition, I had a tiny bit of preparation for what was ahead of me, and once again I had verification that it's a powerful tool that helps me navigate my life in ways that I may not understand in the moment, but will most often be revealed to me later on. So, if your intuition is telling you something today, listen closely, and act. After all, it's just hair!