Last weekend at a (safe, podded) family gathering, I was sitting at the table next to my four-year-old niece. (Grand-niece actually.) She looked up at me, staring intensely, and said…
“You have the same hair as…nobody!”
I laughed. I loved it. I felt very seen.
I’m certain she doesn’t see many people with hair as short as mine is, or at least as short as it is on the sides. And I’m really certain that she doesn’t know anyone else with blue streaks in their hair.
I love the blue streaks in my hair.
I’m also pretty certain that she didn’t understand…or even like…my hair. But I love the blue streaks in my hair.
I love the blue streaks in my hair.
It was not so many years ago that I turned to my older child and asked them if they thought self-expression was one of my personal values. “Really???” they responded, as in, are you an idiot that you didn’t realize that already yourself?
If you haven’t seen me in person, I generally have rings on nearly all my fingers (one pinky still hasn’t found its perfect ring), many earrings and a cartilage piercing and an ear cuff, and a bunch of necklaces. Oh, and I have blue streaks in my hair.
Clearly self-expression is one of my values and joys.
Why am I writing about this, when I usually try to write something at least a wee bit hopefully inspirational?
In full transparency, I’m not really sure. I think because my grand-niece’s matter-of-fact statement brought me such delight and joy, and I know that – for me at least – finding and living in my joy is essential and life-saving.
And maybe that’s a wee bit inspirational.
I’m coming to know, more and more, that while awareness is the first step, self-acceptance, self-love, and self-care is (are?) the second.
And my self-love and self-care demand moments of joy and delight, and my blue hair that apparently nobody – or at least nobody in my grand-niece’s circle – else has is a delightful and joyful part of my moments of joy and delight.
What’s yours?
I’d love to hear your thoughts, and please share this post with others if it resonates with you!
Photo by Nathan Dumlao on unsplash
