She’s Waiting for Me

Last time we sent a package to Locks of Love, I was overwhelmed by the maturity I saw in my Thinker, as her belief that 'Life is about sacrifices', touched my heart and moved me practically to tears.

Again, I see another child before me, wise beyond her years, sacrificing her long blonde locks for others in need. I think Serious was moved by her elder sister, Thinker, who was inspired by a cousin...whom was probably touched by someone else's sacrifice.....It all gets paid forward....

Serious is seven. She has always had this long beautiful, blonde hair. She would brush it and enjoy how soft and luscious it was, telling me often, 'Gosh, Mom, I just love my hair!'

This Lent, she made a decision to grow her hair a bit more for donating her long tresses to Locks of Love, just as her sister had done a while back. As a Mom, I always want to know their reasoning, their thinking behind such a bold move. It's like I get a window into their heart and soul, when I ask the question of 'why'?

Serious answered me, "Mom, what if some little girl is waiting for someone to give their hair, and no one is doing it for her?"

"Yes," I commented, "Some little girl is probably waiting."

"I want to cut my hair for that girl...so she doesn't have to wait anymore. I'll do it."

What insight. People are waiting on us all the time, waiting behind us in line, waiting for us to arrive, waiting for us to touch their heart, waiting for us to show Christian Charity. And Serious was overwhelmed at the thought that someone might be waiting on her, waiting for her hair.

I told her, "You know, honey, you do have very pretty hair. Some little girl might be waiting for the perfect color of blonde, the right length, the most shiny hair.....and you do have it. You are right. She might be waiting."

This morning, we measured her hair, and we could safely cut quite a bit off to donate to Locks of Love. I made the appointment and met Serious in the bathroom just prior to our leaving (Isn't it funny, most of our important discussions happen in the bathroom helping the kids with the hair!)

I asked her again, "You sure, sweetheart? You will look different, it will be shorter. Are you ready for this? I don't want to see you cry after it's cut off. That would break my heart.....Are you happy about doing this?"

She gave me the biggest smile, brushed her hair, and told me, "Mom, it's hard to brush this long hair and she's waiting for me. We have to go."

Ok, I thought, this girl is determined, I'll stop stepping in the way.

The cut was quick and truly painless. In the span of only two minutes she went from my seven year old little girl to my wise seven year old young lady, with a bob hair cut to match her growing maturity. I was so proud of her. We came home to the oohs and aahs of her brothers and sisters, and with Dad's thumbs up approval, she kept her smile on all day long.

I asked her at one point in the day, "How do you feel, now that it's cut?"

She simply said, "I feel great. She won't have to wait on me anymore."

I just love that. Shouldn't it be always on our minds of who needs our act of kindness, love or generosity. Shouldn't it compel us to act, to move to give, even when it's something precious, like our time or our energy.

Truly interesting, having done this twice now, is the different personalities in Thinker and Serious to take this major life change in different ways. To Thinker, it was about doing the right thing, sacrificing because it's our duty. For Serious, someone was waiting on her good deed, and she couldn't delay in the sacrifice, as someone needed her, waited on her, and hoped that she'd act.

As a mother, it's an amazing thing to witness my children give of themselves so freely, so uninhibited, so generously. They are sensitive to the plight of others. They see a need. They fill it. They aren't sitting there weighing the pros and cons of such a gift. They aren't making two lists, to see which one is longer. They don't debate it, they just give.

Particularly interesting here is that the sacrifice this little girl felt so determined to give is a lasting one. A day won’t go by without noticing herself in a mirror and seeing the change in her reflection. This sacrifice will last much longer than Lent and Easter, it will last all through the summer months while she grows it back. I wonder, if that’s what Lent is really supposed to be like anyway, something personal, something that you can’t forget even after Easter is here and gone. Perhaps, no matter the sacrifice, it’s meant to follow us, shape us as someone different, because we made a commitment one Lenten season, and simply keep it up afterwards. We’ve been changed by the pruning that Lent can do.

I believe there is an element of trust, also, in these good deeds. They trust some little girl will feel not only beautiful with some of their locks, but will be blessed by God, for the deeds were pure, selfless and generous. They gain nothing by these sacrifices, nothing physical, that is. But as their mother, I pray for God to bless these self-less hearts, that He might continue to guide them in this way...to give what's most precious.......to give without seeking reward.....to give to those who need it the most.

And....

I pray.....

That I might learn from them, that I, too, might see doing my Christian duty, as if someone is waiting for me to do it. As if God is depending on me to act. As if no one else will fill the spot, but me. Not only that, but to make it last, so that I might be a changed person due to that charity, that act of love or service. I, too, would like to catch my own reflection in the mirror and see that doing God’s will for me, changes me, in unforgettable ways.