Day 100 - Giving with gratefulness

I am still overwhelmed by the love and support showered on us last year. As people loved us, the only way I could thank them was to promise that I would do something good for someone else in return. That I would do it specifically because of their generosity. I know that I cannot bless people the same way monetarily, but there are so many other acts of love that I can do.

My hair has grown so long. I let Mark's barber cut an inch or so off sometimes last year, but I haven't had a real hair cut since around November of 2010, when my sister gifted me a trip to the salon. We simply have not been able to afford it, and so in return my hair was longer than it has ever been. Last week I started thinking about getting my hair cut, and I realized that my long hair was a symbol of our struggles. Its length is a part of the long path that we took. It is part of the journey. As soon as my mind went there, I knew that I needed to get it cut and donate it to Locks of Love. That I needed to pay it forward in honor of those who literally carried us. That this was my chance to give in a way that I actually could.

I am going to be honest.... my vanity started to get the best of me and I did not want to cut off that much. But, my heart wanted to do the right thing and to use this as a lesson for my kids on giving. What an appropriate weekend to do it. So I talked to them and told them my heart and why this was important to me. I reminded them about last year and how so many people helped us. I told them that it's hard to give up something we love, but that it's important if it can truly help someone else. And then I took them with me so they could see. And we went. And they cut off eleven inches of my hair. And tomorrow we are mailing it to Locks of Love.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart to those that supported us. I promise that this is just the beginning. You have changed my heart and inspired me to give, even if it's more than I want. Because giving allows us to feel more hope and love than we could ever imagine. So far in your honor I have donated to Locks of Love, helped friends monetarily, and gave my time to another mommy in need. It's funny how much each act has actually blessed me immensely in return.

With gratefulness,