Last night Sarah and Sophie did something again that they have been doing off and on for the past couple of weeks. I really hope it turns into a tradition that last for several years. I’ll tell you what it is, but you have to promise not to laugh first. Promise? Okay.
They brush my hair while I sing to them before bed. Simple, right? But I LOVE getting my hair brushed/played with. And honestly, some days the only way it gets brushed is if they do it. I usually shower, towel it off, get dressed and then get busy doing something else and completely skip the whole “brush and style your hair” bit. Of course I never was one to put that much effort into my hair, even when I had the time. But having other people spend time on my hair? THAT I will always make time for.
In fact, I have a few very distinct memories regarding this. One is when I was about 9 years old. We still lived in Utah, and my mom hadn’t chopped my hair off yet. 🙂 We were in church and there was a little girl in the pews in front of us, who had laid her head down in her mom’s lap. I sat there mesmerized, while the mom ran her fingers through the girl’s hair over and over, the entire meeting. That just seemed like heaven to me.
When Nick was younger, I tried to convince him that brushing mom’s hair was fun, but he wasn’t sold. He would do it a bit, now and then, for like 30 seconds, but those male genes just overrode any propaganda I was trying to feed him. Good thing, I guess. Anyway, when the girls suggested brushing my hair on their own, without any brainwashing from me, I was ecstatic.:)
And the girls do such a great job. They start at the ends and slowly work their way up so that the tangles come out easier, and it doesn’t hurt. Just like I taught them. And then they usually style it a little bit, just for fun; brushing my bangs in different directions, and putting some hair behind my ears to see what it looks like. Naturally, the entire time this is going on they are telling me how pretty my hair is, how long it is, how nice I look if they brush it this certain way. Who wouldn’t love that?
It is also a testament to the high esteem they have for me that they use their special brushes on my hair. They each have a brush, just for them, that they don’t have to share with anyone else. But they gladly grab those same brushes and put them in my hair without a second thought. I recognize that for the honor it is. Thanks, girls!
I have even been known to extend bedtime by a few minutes, just to prolong the hair brushing session. Last night I sang two extra lullabies, while they brushed my hair. So they are getting benefits, too. And when they are done with my hair, they brush their own for a bit. Which is fantastic because for a a while there, Sarah hated having her hair brushed and would fight me on it all the time. So for her to willingly brush it herself is huge progress. And anything I have to “sacrifice” to get her to continue is worth it. ha!
I hope this continues for a while. I can see it being a time when they can tell me about some of their teenage angst, or ask for advice, without feeling vulnerable or embarrassed. And naturally, that they will also let me at least brush their hair, even if they don’t want me to kiss or hug them for a while. We’ll see, I guess.
Where are the pictures? We need pictures ;o)
I will have Chris take some tomorrow night. I figured it was more important to post it while it was fresh in my memory, rather than wait until I had the photos ready.