My daughter Zoe does not enjoy having her hair brushed. She has thick red curls that challenge the effectiveness of most hairbrushes. So she wriggles and whimpers and complains throughout the entire hairbrushing, usually. Oh, how we take for granted the little things, the ordinary tasks we do as parents for our children everyday. Is brushing our kid's hair special? Was it special to us when we kids?
When we were visiting the care center in Vietnam, we decided to bring hairbrushes and various hair accessories so we could fix up pretty hairstyles on the girls. Those kids soaked up the hairbrushing like dry plants soak up water. Older kids, younger kids, boys and girls, wanted to get their hair brushed. A simple daily routine in my house is a moment of focused care in theirs. It makes me wonder, how must it feel to NOT have one person who loves you best? Kids old enough to walk dress themselves, get themselves what they need. Because I was suddenly aware that my brushing their hair was such a special treat for them, it also became a special treat to me. I will try to remember this when I am brushing my daughter's hair. It won't be long until she is brushing her own daughter's hair and I will be missing this routine, a gift I have overlooked until now.