Sometimes giving feels like getting...

My baby girl (who is no longer a baby at all) turned 7 today.  7!!!!!!  I can't believe it.  I mean, 7 years ago, Chris and I had no idea what we were doing except that our lives were forever changed.  7 years ago I had never had a fight with a smaller version of myself.  7 years ago I had never loved someone so much as I do my children.  7 years ago I had never cleaned up someone else's vomit and diarrhea without a second thought and laughed about it later.  I had never prayed so much for someone.  I had never dreamed of the future while wanting the present to stay still.  I had never spent hours reading books, watching movies or playing with toys I don't care about just to please a tiny person.  I had never known the joy of hearing "Mama."   Okay, you get the idea...

I have watched Emma grow into a kind and big-hearted girl who always considers others (except maybe her brother, but hey, nobody's perfect.)  So when she heard of Locks of Love, she knew she had to help.  I have heard all of the controversy over this organization (just google it if you haven't and you're interested), but in the end, my sweet girl only cares about helping other girls in need.  She doesn't understand or weigh the concerns about how many wigs this organization actually gives out.  She does know what it's like to be different.  She's had many people question her about her skin when she's broke out from head to toe in eczema.  She's had people look (and look away when she caught their eye) at her skin and how scratched up it was.  She's had numerous good-intentioned grown ups ask her if she'd scratched herself or offer advice when her skin was flared up.  She also understands that this is nothing compared to being really sick and having all of your hair fall out with no hope of it returning.

So today, on her 7th birthday, my girl made the decision to cut her hair for someone else.  She was thrilled to do it on her birthday.  To have this special day for her, and be able to share it with another child, it made her heart swell and her face light up.  She was incredibly nervous.  She loves her long hair and was scared to see it gone.  It's become a part of who she is and she was worried about who she'd be without it.

But from the moment we got to the shop, she NEVER stopped smiling.  She loved every minute of it--the attention, the new look, and the knowledge that she was making someone else's life better by sharing her own special life.

I am so proud of this girl.  She is beautiful, and that's not just a proud Mama talking.  She is beautiful because her heart is so large and she loves so very much.  If you asked Emma about her birthday and what was the best part, I don't think she'd mention the party or the cupcakes at school, or all of the presents (well at least, not first...).  I think she'd tell you that her favorite part was cutting her hair.  Because sometimes giving feels an awful lot like getting...