Hair
As mammals, human beings have a lot of hair. It helps keep us warm & cool and protects our skin.
Women in our society have a lot to deal with when it comes to hair. Unfortunately, we don't live in a culture that acknowledges that we are SUPPOSED to have hair everywhere. There should be hair on our heads, but it has to look & feel a certain way. Our eyebrows & eyelashes need to be "well maintained" so that we can fit in in society.
Hair on arms is okay, but certainly not ideal.
Absolutely no hair in our armpits.
Our culture tells us that we are to have no hair essentially from the waist down.
This is a lot of work! Over 72 days in the life of an average woman is spent on hair removal. Think about what you could do with 72 days! If you are a mom of young kids, think about how refreshed you would feel with 72 days of sleep! We spend roughly $12,000 over the course of a lifetime on hair removal products. Can you say, goodbye vacation?
I'm not calling for the abolishment of shaving/waxing/tweezing. Indeed, I'll be the first to admit that I like the feeling of freshly shaven legs. So smooth! And I'll be honest, I am still having a tough time with my own body image after having a baby. I'll take any self-image boost I can get.
I am bringing this up for two reasons. The first is pretty personal, and almost definitely TMI, so if you want to skip this bit I will let you know in big bold letters when it is over.
This attitude of where we are supposed to/not supposed to have hair is so deeply ingrained in me that it is one of the things I remember most vividly about giving birth. There I was, lying on my back, HAVING A BABY and what do you think lodged in my brain? It wasn't how incredible this experience was, how grateful I was that my epidural was extremely effective, or that this was almost over and I'd be able to get some sleep. No, I was regretting that I hadn't had the time/money to get a Brazilian before giving birth. What must my midwife, the nurses, my mom, and my mother-in-law think?
Even as I was thinking this I recognized how ridiculous this was. None of these people cared! The highly trained medical professionals in the room were encouraging me to push, monitoring my blood pressure, evaluating blood loss, and even laughing at the feeble jokes I was telling to help keep my own mood light.
I seriously doubt my mom & mother-in-law cared. They were both present for the birth of their first grandchild!
And yet - there it was.
Okay - the terrible part is over now!
The second reason, and the reason I've been thinking about my own relationship with hair, is because Elizabeth's hair is getting pretty darn long.
I have been hearing murmurings from many that it is time for a trim. Give her bangs, trim up her beautiful curls that reach her shoulders when wet. That hair is her face is clearly bothering her (seems to me it's not).
I have an almost insane pretty strong reaction to these suggestions. Why not just use a headband, clip her bangs away from her face. "If you cut her hair I will divorce you" are words that have come out of my mouth when Nathan suggests a hair cut. And I'm only half joking.
What is this!? I know, logically, that it's just hair. It shouldn't be a big deal. And yet, I also know that with that first hair cut my daughter is being inducted into a club that there is no escape from. I know she will someday be a part of the club of constant body hair maintenance.
I'm just not ready for it yet.
Posted from my blog with SteemPress : https://rachelahanson.blog/2015/05/17/hair/