13 Inches Lighter

On October 29, I chopped off all my hair. It wasn’t impulsive; I had been wanting to get this haircut for over a month, counting down the days until my appointment scheduled for the weekend I would be home from college. The product? A pixie cut that makes me feel like a real-life fairy, and I’m loving it.

I was looking at myself in the mirror one September night, and I had a simple yet profound realization: I can do whatever the hell I want. And from that point on I knew I was going to make a drastic change to my appearance. I craved catharsis, and I longed to make a statement to myself and the world.

13 inches gone. Hair holds so much meaning. Those 13 inches witnessed the most heartbreaking year of my life. By cutting it off, my face can shine through, and as a result, my soul can shine through.

The reality is that hair grows back. As a woman, we are taught that so much of our beauty lives in our long hair, and I want to challenge that. I want to challenge anyone who ever loved me and everyone who will love me in the near future to love me for who I truly am, and not because I fit a certain type or preference based on unnecessary, hurtful ideals.

On Halloween night, my family and I sat around a fire in the driveway. The next evening, as soon as I stepped into the shower, that campfire smell came to life, as if the water drew it out of my hair, demanding it be remembered. Even after I shed my long hair, the universe is still reminding me how much meaning hair can hold. I honor this, and I look forward to seeing how my hair continues to evolve over time and how this relates to what I’m going through.

This is your sign. You are in control of your life, so act like it. Get that haircut, send that text, make that change. Do whatever it is you want, because it’s your life, and you will be better off serving yourself and cherishing your most true and beautiful desires.