Most of the time a haircut is what you get when your hair gets a little grown out or shaggy. But when is a haircut more than that? Julie has been a client of mine for almost 25 years. In that time we have pretty much done everything to her hair. But about 6 years ago, Julie started to grow out her hair. not long ago she came in and wanted it all off! 21" of hair she wanted cut off! In all of my time doing hair, this is the most I have ever cut off at one time. Why you ask? I'll have Julie tell you her story....
"Why did my hair get so long? Well I am a parent to two young girls. I was immersed in parenthood. My main focus was to take care of my kiddos. My youngest daughter, who is now 7 years old, is on the autism spectrum disorder. This added on extra tasks to my daily routine, which included her various therapy sessions. So with that, taking care of myself, physically, emotionally and mentally, was no longer the priority. I was focused on getting the best treatment and therapy for my youngest, as well as, making sure that I was a supportive and available for my oldest.
Taking time out of my day to go and get haircut required a lot of planning and preparation since I was the main caregiver for my children, while my husband worked. Don't tell Michael, it just wasn't a priority at this time in my life.
I think that because we are a special needs family, priorities are shifted a little bit. We still worry about how our children are doing in school or if they are happy. But we constantly worry about the future. Having a special needs child makes you realize that the hopes and dreams that you have for your child will be different. At this point, we don’t know if my daughter will be able to get a driver’s license, or go away to a traditional college. And who knows what type of job she will be able to do.
So I decided at the start of 2018 that things needed to shift a little bit. I needed to refocus some of my time, energy and effort towards making sure that I was healthy, both emotionally and physically. I started a new workout program, eating better and just taking time to focus on myself. I had to remember that being healthy was not an option, I needed to make sure that I was around for as long as possible for my children and husband. I needed to be physically and emotionally strong. Letting go of old habits and unhealthy choices was the direction that I needed to go.
My youngest daughter used it as a way to calm herself during times of distress or anxiousness. She would rub and smell it, and just hold it while I would hug and rock her into a more calm state. I didn’t cut it and kept it long for her. But now she has made strides in her ability to self-soothe, self-advocate and overall is just in a better place then she was a couple of years ago. So I felt it was time to let go and chop all of my hair.
Getting a haircut was just another way to remind myself, that my hair was just weighing me down. To be honest, my only regret is not doing it sooner. But I believe that there is a time and place for everything. I feel like this was the exact time when I needed to do it. Both of my girls and my husband love my new hairstyle!" ~Julie
And we love it too! You look great. What wild and fun things can we do next?