I've written a great deal in this blog about the ups and downs of having diabetes, and about some of the not-so-fun side effects of the various medications that I must take on a daily basis. Most of them have been manageable, albeit not fun, and usually subside after a few days or weeks. One of those side effects, though, is one that began a year or so ago, isn't going away, and involves my hair ... yep, the one thing I prided (key word, prided) myself on my whole life. The gal who has done my hair for over 15 years was the one who noticed it first, and I think I may always remember her words ... words that knocked the wind out of me. "Your hair is getting really thin in some spots, Terrie, probably because of your medication." And over the last year, my hair has gotten thinner and thinner and thinner in some spots, so thin that my hairdresser finally cut it really short, telling me that was the only way to make me look like I have more hair.
At first it bothered me a bit ... OK ... it bothered me a lot that my hair was thinning and for a while I had nightmares of bald spots and wigs and people staring and pointing at me and my lessening hair. But eventually, I've grown to really like my short, spiky do ... it's super easy to take care of, all I have to do is put this gel stuff in it, run my fingers through it and I'm done. I still worry about going bald, but the short do makes the thinning less noticeable, at least for now anyway. I get a lot of compliments on my hair, both on the cut and the color ... guess it's not every day that people see an older gray-haired gal with such a hip haircut.
Yesterday morning when I got ready to leave for work, I looked in the mirror and said out loud ... "Julie and Ollie, I'm having a really, really good hair day. Yep, my hair is looking fine today!" And remember how I said I always prided myself on my hair? Well, last night was crazy hair night at Awana, and most of the kids had ... well ... they had crazy hair. Some had their hair all spiked up; some had crazy bows and headbands on; some had weird colors sprayed in their hair. A lot of the leaders had their hair crazy, too, including some really funky looking wigs. So I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised by the comments of a couple of little boys when I was helping them with their Bible verses. One of them said, "Cool! You have porcupine hair for crazy hair night!" And before I could say a word, the other little boy said, "No, she doesn't. She always has porcupine hair." So much for priding myself on my hair, huh?
I've thought all day about those two little boys and their matter-of-fact commentary about my spiky hair. And I've thought all day about how open and honest little kids are ... they generally say exactly what they think, without reservation and without filters. And I've thought all day about pride and how even when I think I have completely dealt with the issue of pride in my life, God allows two little boys telling me I have porcupine hair to teach me again that pride can lurk in places within me where I never imagined it could. My dad used to say that when a person thinks they've learned all they can learn about God and how humble He really wants us to be, He finds a way to teach us all over again. Porcupine hair and pride ... I sure didn't see that one coming ... wow, God, wow.
"When pride comes, then comes dishonor, but with the humble is wisdom." Proverbs 11:2
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