Locks of Love!

When we called our niece Hannah on her 7th birthday a couple of weeks ago, she was full of that celebratory excitement that only a kid exudes. Asking her all the right and fitting questions that aunts do on a birthday like "What did you do?" "How was your party?" "What was your favorite present?" - she oddly didn't talk up the usual list of birthday topics. Instead, she had bigger news to share.

"Guess what I did for my birthday?" she said in the most excited birthday voice from the back seat of the family car she was sitting in as we spoke long distance. "What Hannah?!" Oh, this is going to be good we thought, you could just tell by her enthusiasm.

What she said next, frankly floored me. "I cut off my hair and donated it to people with cancer!" Screeeeeech! "What did you say Hannah?" She said it again with the same spirit and zeal as she repeated that she cut off 10" of her hair to donate to people who have cancer.

Silence. I couldn't hold it together a second longer. Thank goodness two of us were on the phone because I for one, lost it. The floodgates opened and the tears started pouring down my face. I couldn't utter a word and just dropped my face into my hands and sobbed.

What 7 year old girl, on her BIRTHDAY, thinks to go chop her blonde locks off in honor of me and "all the people who have cancer?" Really?! So undeniably selfless and not 7 in my book. What happened to the 'all about me' mentality in this whole equation that is expected at this age?

But, as the story unfolded, we learned that she and her dad, (Hil's older brother Marcus) went to the hair salon together sitting side-by-side (his story coming soon!) to donate 10" of her hair to Locks of Love! 'Wow,' is all I can continue to muster up.

Fast forward another week and I had another but new conversation with Marcus about how Hannah was preparing for her 'star of the week' debut in her class, and then he breaks more news to me. With her poster in hand and ready to answer her classmates questions about her 7 year old life and what she wants to be when she grows up (a veterinarian), Hannah announces to her dad that she has now changed her long term goals and ambitions and no longer desires to be a doctor to the animal kingdom.

I want to "make medicine!" she proclaimed to Marcus. Both shocked and puzzled, he asked "Like Auntie Chris?" (our pharmacist sister-in-law). "Well, what exactly does she do?" (explanation complete from dad) aannnnd... "No dad, I don't want to GIVE medicine to people, I want to MAKE medicine for people who have cancer and so that their hair doesn't fall out."

What?! Seriously? I can hardly take in all of this grade school wisdom. First, the hair and now the new career as a cancer scientist? Holy moly! "Could she get on that right away?" I say to Marcus. He agreed.

And there you have it - kindness, philanthropy, thoughtfulness and forethought - all wrapped up into one 7 year old birthday package. So, all I have to say at this point to my niece, AKA 'Hannah Banana' is... You ROCK girlie! You really ROCK! xoxo Auntie Yog