Dresses and Tresses

Cora gave me the idea for this post's title. How many of you have watched the Anne of Green Gables series? At the point where Anne was forbidden from seeing her kindred spirit, Diana, she sobbed and then asked Dianna, "Could I have a snip of your jet-black tresses?" Dianna, not as well educated as Anne, sniffed and said, "But I don't have any black dresses."

Then Anne explained that tresses was a fancy word for hair. Diana consented and Anne took a small scissors out of her apron pocket (she had just been sewing) and snipped off about an inch of Diana's luxurious black hair. She put both scissors and hair in her apron pocket and said her sad farewell to her bosom friend. I can't ever watch it without crying as it was such an injustice to poor Anne. It does work out in the end, though, when Diana's mother changes her mind because Anne saved her babies' life. ANYWAY, I have a tresses story that I would like to share with you all. You've seen some of the dresses I inherited and now you shall see the tresses although, alas they aren't black. :)

When we were cleaning out mom's closets and dresser drawers last Sunday, Cora found a treasure that my mom had shown me once but I had forgotten that she had. When she was a farm girl, my mom had lovely long chestnut-colored hair. Someone decided, though, when she reached high school age and started going to school in town that she would be more "In" if she had short hair. My mother's mother had her make a long braid down the back. Somebody then cut off the braid and that was the end of all that fussing with hair--who needs it anyway? My mother grieved it, though, and I recall her crying when she showed me that she had carefully wrapped the braid in an old, brown bag. The words, "Erdie's hair" are written on the paper.

I was quite frantic on Sunday when Cora handed it to me. I knew that my mom treasured this relic from the past, but what should I DO with it???????? I showed dad and he wanted it out of there. As I stood holding the bag, feeling all sorts of butterflies inside, Robert saved the day. He said, "Why don't you donate it to LOCKS OF LOVE?" WHAT A WONDERFUL IDEA!!!

So that's what I'm going to do. Cora did the research and copied the form I need to send with the hair. She said that the hair can be any age as long as it was preserved in a dry state, which it was. It needs to be at least a foot long and hers was 16 inches long. It also needs to be in a pony tail or a braid, so we meet the qualifications there too. Isn't it grand to think that somebody who lost their hair will feel somewhat "Normal" again because of my mom? Is there truly anything too small to offer to the Lord's work? I feel so honored to play a role in giving this gift from the past!!! Here's the picture of my mother's hair from when she was 14 years old. In other words, this braid is 65 years old!!!!!!!!!!!!! May it give someone in this world the joy it gave my mother!