A day in the life of the Griffiths: August 2013

So, I'm sitting here watching Eat, Pray, Love which is one of my favorite movies and books. I love stories of people who go on a journey of self discovery. I always look at their amazing travels and stories and hope that someday I will be able to do the same thing. Travel to distant lands and meet unforgettable people who teach me the greatest lessons in life. Well I've been thinking a lot this week about that. And I realized something the other day when I heard myself say it out loud. I don't want to look back at these years of my life and think, "whew! I survived. I muddled through the challenges of being a stay at home mom in this modern world." I want to look back at these years of my life and see a happy me. A person who wasn't just surviving but thriving. I want my kids to remember a happy mommy who loved to play with them. Not just sit by myself while they play at the park or in the pool. A mommy who got up to run and jump when they did. Someone who is strong and happy in her situation. And I am realizing that I don't need to go to the far corners of the earth to accomplish my journey of self love and self discovery. I can go on many journeys if I take the time and make the effort. I can make life fun for my family. I can create memories that will last a lifetime. I can be that woman, wife and mommy that people see and want to emulate. I used to be someone that people were drawn to. I would hear, "You are just such a happy person! Always smiling and brightening the rooms you enter." I haven't heard myself described in that way in a long time. Too long. I'm gonna change that. It's time to take the initiative. Start making my own memories with my husband, kids and friends. I know I can do it. I know I am strong. I have a loving Father in heaven and earthly family. I am beautiful. I can learn and grow. I can teach my girls to love each themselves and be happy in every situation. I can do it. And I will.

I still have big plans to see the world. I have been blessed to see a lot of it already. But I am going to work on expanding my own world. Here, now while I have the chance. While my kids are small and think I am the world, I am going to show them that the world is a loving, happy and exciting place. I am blessed. We all are. I'm going to quit telling other people to look for the silver linings and start actually following my own advice. I will SHOW them how to do it.

Yes. The time is now. I am going to be present and alive and love the moments, easy or hard, good or bad. Today is the day.

Hair. We all have it. Some of us more than others. (Hehe). We all choose how we are going to wear it and what product to put in it and when to wash it etc etc. Well, I've been thinking a lot about hair lately. A couple of months ago I decided to cut my hair. Like, really cut it. I went from having hair that was all the way down to my waist after having my second child to a full-on pixie style cut à la Michelle Williams or Anne Hathaway. I also decided to dye it platinum blonde with the cut. I have had long hair for my whole life. Since it grew out when I was a kid, I kept it long. I layered it and grew it and layered it and cut it. But always, it was long. And I loved it. My sisters would call me their "hippie" sister. I would wear side ponytails and buns. My hair was curly and occasionally I would wear it down or straighten it. I loved the versatility that my long hair gave me. But, I wore it up pretty much every day. I didn't like it getting in my face. I haaaated when it was windy and would never drive with the windows down if I could help it. I was blessed with good hair. Healthy, blonde and curly.

This is me when I was 3. Can I please have a child with hair this awesome?

Cut to the last few years. Since I had my first child, my hair has been getting progressively darker. I don't make a habit of dyeing my hair although I did do blonde highlights most recently before the Big Cut. I don't have anything against dark blonde or brown hair but, I didn't like it on me. I have (almost) always been "the blonde one" in my family. All of my siblings have varying shades of brown hair or dark blonde hair. I was born with white-blonde hair and hazel eyes and the lightest complexion. I always felt cool with blonde hair. That it was a distinguishing factor in who I was. If you look at my wedding photos you will see much lighter hair than in pictures of me in the last year.

This was on our wedding day in 2008. That is my complete natural color.

This is last Christmas. 2012. That is my natural color on the top. And Lucy on my lap.

So, I had my second baby last September. Her name is Lucy and she is a mamma's girl through and through. She is kind of obsessed with me. In a good way I guess. Haha. But she does NOT leave me alone. She constantly is giving me kisses (which I love), and climbing on my lap (which I love), and scratching me everywhere with those sharp little fingernails (which I don't really love), and pulling my hair--HARD (which I kind of hated actually).

So, I kept seeing all of these celebrities with short haircuts. I would think to myself, "I wish I was brave enough to try something like that," or "I just don't think my face shape would work with short hair," or "what if I don't like it?" I would say these things over and over and finally, one day I realized; I CAN be brave enough. Why not? I have had 2 children. I have moved across the country away from my family. I have had many personal and professional victories in the last few years. Who says I can't be brave enough to cut my hair? And I realized, I have control over how I feel about myself. Hair included. So, I went for it. I made the appointment with a trusted friends hairdresser and I didn't tell anyone I was doing it except my husband and a few friends in Nashville. I wanted to surprise my family.

I went to the appointment, sat in the chair and said "Let's do this!" I have to say, I LOVED it. It felt like I was lifting a huge weight off my shoulders. Literally and figuratively. I am now a short-haired person and so proud to be. I never ever thought I would be that or say that.

I called all my family on FaceTime so they could see the new locks. Here are some of the reactions:

Yeeeah, that is Jen and Kelli. My oldest and youngest sisters. My moms reaction was similar and so were my other siblings. It was priceless. They loved it! They couldn't believe it was me! They thought it was my sister Lisa who looks the most like me and has been a lot more gutsy in her hairstyles over the years.

This is the before picture. To show how long and the color.

This is the after shot. I have since had it cut again. Even shorter than it was here.

My mom said to me as I was telling her all about my thought process before the Big Cut, "Well yeah, it's just hair."

And let me tell you, ever since the Big Cut I have had random strangers come up to me and tell me how great I look. People at the store, in parking lots, at the McDonalds drive thru, at the mall. Seriously, I know I live in the South where people tend to talk to each other a bit more than in other places but I mean a LOT of people go out of their way to compliment me. Here is a list of comments I usually hear:

You look like a rock star!

You look like P!nk.

You look so edgy and cute.

I love your hair.

Nice hair!

You can totally pull off short hair.

You should come into my salon I would love to cut your hair.

And some more:

I could never do that. I'm not brave enough.

I wouldn't look good with short hair.

I have too weird of a head shape to pull off short hair.

I would love to cut my hair but it wouldn't look good on me.

Sound familiar???

Ladies! Give yourselves a little credit. You are brave! You are fabulous! You are strong! You are wonderful! You are beautiful! You have conquered children, cancer, infertility, loss of friends and family, long days and nights with little ones in your beds puking, husbands out of town for work and you carrying the entire household, surgeries, no jobs, financial worry and so much more! You have the power to do what you want. So, if you want to have a cute, easy, short hair cut. Do it! Find a good hairdresser and have them help you find what would look good on you. Everyone will look good with the right kind of short haircut.

I have felt more beautiful and noticed since the Big Cut. People see me. And they go out of their way to compliment me. Not that it should matter completely but it IS nice to be seen. And given positive thoughts and compliments.

Moral of the story? You can be brave if you choose to be. Don't sell yourself short. Go for it, whatever "it" is for you. Whether a haircut or anything else that may seem out of your comfort zone. You have control over your own life. You can do anything. Good luck!

Here are a few more pictures. Just because.