Locks, loss and laughter

BACK when I had long hair and he still had… well, hair, life had a few more strands in it. Looking back, my hair has always been a bit of a personal project — long, short, somewhere in between. Every few years, I shake things up just to keep life interesting, even if it means adding a few maroon or blue streaks here and there. One day, I have got long, flowing locks; the next, I’m sporting a pixie cut. It keeps everyone guessing — and honestly, even I’m surprised half the time!

It seems my experimenting gene didn’t stop with me. Our two boys have completely different hair: one has a head full of curls that bounce with a life of their own, while the other has perfectly straight, silky hair. Naturally, they both want the other’s look. They have even tried to trade styles once — one straightened his curls and the other went all-in for curls. I suppose they have inherited my “try-it-on” attitude with hair. Maybe it’s just human nature: always thinking the grass — or, in this case, hair — might look greener on the other side.

And, of course, there’s an entire industry built on this universal hair envy. I had a friend whose husband was practically on a quest for the holy grail of hair growth, willing to try every tonic, treatment and technique to bring back his mane. It’s all about the chase for what we don’t have.

My dad, though, was the original hair icon in our family. He made it to 92 with a full head of hair, and people would often ask him his secret. He would laugh and say, “Good genes and no stress.”

Meanwhile, my husband’s hair journey took a different path. When we got married, he had thick, showstopping hair. He would even style it meticulously, making sure every strand was in place. Fast-forward a few years, and now he has what we call a “distinguished look” — a good amount of hair on the sides and a shiny crown on top. We joke about it often. He would look at my dad’s hair, sigh in exasperation, and say, “Why does your dad still have all that hair? He doesn’t even need it! Can’t he just pass some over to me?”

What I have learned through all this is that hair — or the lack of it — is just part of life’s ever-evolving scenery. We change, we age, and yes, hair thins, greys or just decides to leave altogether. But life’s too short to take any of it too seriously. It’s not about the follicles; it’s about embracing those changes, laughing at them as they come and remembering that what’s on your head is far less important than what’s in it.

So here’s to life’s constant transformations — hair and all. Because while hairlines may recede, trends may come and go, what about the ability to laugh at ourselves? Now that’s a look that never goes out of style. That’s timeless.