I open my jewelry box and see the foil, folded ever so carefully. I know that inside are the first trimmings from each of my children’s first haircuts. I close my eyes and remember that our daughter was three when we took her to get her first haircut. I picture her hair growing in "the perfect pixie cut style”, wispy like blonde feathers that fell across her blue eyes. But it started to look raggedy, even when in a sprouted ponytail on top of her head.
Emma walked into the hair salon with a brave face, holding my hand tightly, not wanting to let go. She regarded the stylist’s scissors from behind me. The stylist allowed Em to twirl in her purple unicorn dress between each cut of the scissors. My husband held Emma's 7 month old little brother across the salon, both watching as I whispered confidence into Em's ear, telling her how brave and beautiful she was.
I touch the foil lightly, opening my eyes to regard the more recent past. Our almost two year old son got his first haircut last week. Although we had given his hair a trim to keep it out of his eyes a few months back, we agreed it was finally time to use the trimmers. His hair had grown out the same way Emma’s had, and was looking the same sort of feathery and raggedy. Tom sat patiently with James on the floor while Em and I looked on from just outside the small bathroom. Em had given James my old wallet to play with, and now his pudgy fingers pulled at the zipper in between each pass of the trimmers.
I gasped when the first lock of hair fell. My last baby’s first haircut. Am I ready for this? James’s baby body was slimming down, and now trimming his blonde locks, which I loved to run my fingers through, into a buzz cut.
The foiled strands sit side by side, much like my children will accompany each other through life’s milestones, which will come whether I’m ready or not. The sweet memory of this first haircut will remain as long as the strands do.
This post is part of a blog hop with Exhale—an online community of women pursuing creativity alongside motherhood, led by the writing team behind Coffee + Crumbs. Click here to view the next post in the series "365 Words".
Thank you for reading Ramblings of a thirty four year old wife and mom. Suggestion box is open and ready for inspiration on the next big ramble to write about. Don’t be shy!
Inspiration for you: Write (in as few words as possible) about any experience this year!
Inspiration (and accountability) for me: One more post in 2023 <3.
Currently reading: Moshe Kasher’s Kasher in the Rye - A true story that’s all sorts of f*’d up, funny, and somehow relatable for anyone who has ever felt misunderstood. *Trigger warning for drugs/alchol/addiction.
Substack Read of the Week: Kim’s Walking Diaries with Jordan Miller. Timely and beautiful read with what’s going on in the world.
This was such a compelling read. I cut my son's hair and I can't believe how much older he looks every time I do it.
There is something about the first haircut 😭😭😭😭😭 you captured it beautifully.