Diary of a Young Girl's Hair

It's school picture day today and oh boy do I ever have a sentimental story to share.

My daughter never likes it when I do her hair. She would much rather do it herself because she is Miss Independent. Today was an exception. Last night, she let me put twenty little braids in her hair last night so that her hair had waves in it for her picture day. Curling irons are only acceptable in her mind at the hair salon but that was my original plan.

I'm not very good when it comes to hair I have realized. My own hair and her hair. But I can do braids. I used to braid my hair after a shower in the evening when I was in high school and I would take them out on the bus in the morning.

I feel like doing her hair like this healed a little piece of me. I remember my Grade 1 school picture day like it was yesterday. My mom had done those heatless curls on my hair and she tugged and pulled on my hair like it's nobody's business. I remember crying and feeling quite frustrated with her.

When it came to my daughter's hair, I wanted to make it special. I let her prop her tablet up at the table while she watched Diary of a Wimpy Kid and I got to work on her hair. I tried my best to be gentle, I even asked her if the braids hurt and she told me no. She ended up jamming to Wannabe by Spice Girls because it was in the movie, and we paused her hair styling experience to take a dance break. We have an Amazon Alexa in our kitchen, so she hollered at the Alexa to play the song a countless number of times after I told her what the name of the song was. I know that tiny moment of doing my daughter's hair, I healed a little piece of my heart.

My mom tried. As a mom I understand, she tried her best to manage three kids and a busy work schedule. I know she didn't mean to hurt me. But she did it again before my first school dance too. She stabbed me with her fake nail while plucking my eyebrows for me and I never let her go near my face with tweezers again. I just forgive her.

My daughter got up early this morning, took her own braids out, and then styled it herself. I added some sparkle spray to her hair to complete her look. I love her so much and I hope she lets me braid her hair more often. If she had it her way she would have worn lipstick today for school pictures.

It just healed a piece of me, doing her hair yesterday and this morning. I even spoke to my partner last night about that tiny feeling inside my chest. I can't explain it in any other way other than healing.

I want to learn how to do fishtail braids for her.

I came across this photo on Facebook this morning and it pretty much sums up how I feel about my beautiful little girl.

She is so unbelievably kind. Her heart is made out of gold.

She is strong and capable of doing things I was always too scared to do. (She can climb the monkey bars, I never could and I admire her deeply because oft that.)

She is spunky. One morning my oldest son told her to shut up and she replied with, "Oh, I'm not gonna."

As a parent, we all have hopes and dreams for our children. She could rule a country with her attitude, and I hope she does amazing things with her life.

As for me? I just hope she continues to let me braid her hair along the way.

Thanks for reading.

Chloe Rose Violet🌹