As a child, I reveled in reading fairy tales. Among them was the story of Rapunzel who was gifted with long, golden braided hair, but was confined to a tower with only a window for access. Whenever her prince friend wanted to see her, he would call out, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your long hair.” She would toss her braids outside the window, and up he would climb.
So, you are probably wondering, what has that got to do with letting go?
Sometime ago, I heard a call, not to let down my hair, but to let go of my short, gray, unbraided hair. No prince called, but instead I heard the effects of chemotherapy.
It was a tremendous reminder that while there are things in life that each of us can choose to sort through or remove from life, there are other matters over which we have no control. Actually, I found it relatively easy to go through my CD collection last year in order to donate music that was no longer of any interest. On the other hand, seeing my scalp without its usual covering was a bit disconcerting. I had a choice. Would I accept the inevitable reality or would I mope?
Letting go does have its rewards. Happily, I have been blessed with a great network of supportive friends. One witnessed my tears and said it was ok to weep. Others have supplied me with delightful head coverings that keep my head warm both day and night. Another said that I now look like the Orthodox Jewish women who never show their hair. One complimented that the colored scarf makes me look like a fashionista! A great blessing is that I now have a gift of empathy for other women who have lost their hair. I know what it means to them, I feel their loss. But, I have discovered that in letting go, I have received more than I could have ever expected to receive in return. For this I am grateful.
Image by Tilixia from Pixabay
