A different type of recycling

With all the stress and hassle of selling and packing up our home in Cape Town, the subsequent move to our bucolic smallholding, enduring the messy building process, unpacking and setting up our new home, whilst all the while continuing with our business commitments long distance, personal care has been on the back burner.

For over 3 years.

But this week I finally took the plunge.

This was the length of my hair
in August 2013

The photo above is what I looked like in August 2013 - with my hair is just below armpit level LOL

This week it was 4 inches longer. And it took only 3 years to grow it to this length.

This is the length of it after my
hairdressing session this week

This is what I look like now.  Short hair is definitely cooler and easier to manage in the heat we're currently experiencing.

Plaited and ready to be recycled

That haircut left me with an almost 27 - 28cms plait.

Seeing as this is the almost the longest that I have grown my hair, and considering the amount of grey that is creeping into it (especially in the front), I can't see myself allowing my hair to grow that long again.  An "older" woman can no longer be a "young thing" and should accept her ageing status gracefully LOL

So - with a special purpose in mind - I made a decision prior to having my hair cut to ask the hairdresser, after washing it, to plait it, securely fix it with an elastic band either side, so that I could "recycle" it by donating it to the Marie Claire Kindest Cut Campaign

I'm thrilled to be in a position to be able to make a difference to a young (or old) cancer sufferer.  We can all make a difference to someone or something else, and even to this planet.  We just have to care enough to share - whatever and whenever we can.

My 2nd "father" who gave me away at my wedding to RMan, my elderly grandmother, my teenage cousin, as well as the daughter of a very close friend, all had cancer.  In their honour and memories I wish to say to all those who have been diagnosed with cancer, please, know that you are still beautiful, and loved. And, know that nobody will ever judge you just because your hair has suffered the effects of chemotherapy.

Can you see how many thousands
of individual hairs are in that plait?Who needs counting sheep in order
to fall asleep - rather try counting
the hairs in a freshly cut plait of
hair instead LOL

I so truly admire anyone who has the patience and energy to insert even a fraction of that plait into a wig.  What a time consuming, laborious task.

And yet, ultimately, how incredibly rewarding that task must be...