Sweet Emma

Over our weekend in San Antonio at Jacob and Emma's soccer tournament, an interesting conversation came up. Emma started the conversation by telling me she wanted a hair cut. At first I brushed it off, thinking "OH NO YOU WON'T".   You see, Emma has NEVER had a hair cut (other than a trim) in her life. She has been telling me for about a year that she wanted her hair short " like her old mommy!"
One of  Emma's biggest memory of her mom is how she wore her hair really short. After thinking a while, I asked Emma what she knew about chemotherapy. Judging by the scrunched look on her face I guessed she knew nothing about it. So we started to talk about Cancer. I explained to her that some people get sick and need chemotherapy. I reminded her of her aunt that passed away from breast cancer. With question flying at me left and right I tried to answer to the best of my knowledge. Emma wanted to know all about how people could get better.
After telling Emma that chemotherapy could help people who are sick, I then told her that people who need chemotherapy could also lose their hair. At this point I could see it on her face, she was putting it all together in her head. She then asked me what they do when they lose their hair. I told her they could wear hats, bananas, and even wigs. I told her that they can even wear wigs made from human hair and that if she really wanted her hair cut, we could donate her hair so that a pretty wig could be made for some who needs it. She thought for a moment trying to process all the information. Then her face light up and she belted out... "MOM, I WANT TO DO THAT, SOMEONE NEEDS MY HAIR".
Monday afternoon we went to the hairstylist and asked if they donated to Locks Of Love. They said yes! Emma was so excited. I probably asked her fifty times if she was sure she wanted to do this. The answer was the same every time "yes I am sure". While Emma was sitting in the chair getting ready for her big cut, a lady two chairs over called her by name. Emma looked over at her "yes?" The Lady then explained to  Emma that her four-year-old daughter had leukemia. She told Emma how her daughter needed chemotherapy and lost all of her hair and needed to wear a wig. The lady's eyes began to swell up, and she said " Emma, thank you so much for what you are doing, some girl will be very lucky to have that beautiful blond hair".

Emma just smiled at the woman and turned her head. After the cut, both stylist at the hair salon told her the same thing. We payed and walked out. Emma loves her new hair. She keeps touching in and saying "I LOVE IT!"
If only everyone could think like a little girl....