However, that doesn't mean there weren't a couple of bright spots that didn't make it a complete wash-out. Friday, I took L to get her first hair cut and it was a total success and Saturday morning L and I went to get some lovely, older furniture for our new home (for free, I may add!). The rest of the weekend we just spent laying around. The weather was chillier than usual and it was dreary, so we didn't do much outside. For the past several weeks, I have been trying my best to get L outside more, but the weather keeps making that almost impossible. *sigh* Hopefully, soon, we can get outside and enjoy some good sunshine!
Anyway, here are some pictures from L's first hair cut!
She was a total dream! The stylist let her pick out her own sucker (she chose Blueberry), we sat her in the chair, and the stylist started trimming. L just watched in the mirror and laughed and smiled the whole time. The only time she didn't agree with something was when the stylist was going to blow dry her hair the rest of the way. The stylist turned the dryer on low, let the air blow over L's head, and L promptly said, "No." So, we stopped and let her air dry. HA!
Then, we came home and Mommy did this:
(And now I seg-way into the next part of my post...)
It was this little box that I was thinking of later that evening. I had placed it in one of my dresser drawers for safe keeping, with the date written on the inside of the box. Those fine, tiny hairs from my little girl's head tucked safely away for her to find one day when she is older and ask, "Mom, what is this?" And then me, flashing back to the day in May when I took her to get her first hair cut, and how good she was, and how she had the stylist and me both in tears from laughing so hard.
It was that box and those images that were flashing through my head Friday evening as the tornado sirens were blaring and I was in a basement with L; waiting, praying, hoping, and trying not to lose it.
According to news reports, about 8 miles from where we were in a basement, an EF3 tornado (about 140 mps winds) tore through and left a path of destruction. We had lost TV reception shortly after the sirens started going off, but the house we were in (luckily) had a scanner, so we were able to stay informed that way. Once we heard over the scanner that it had been spotted, we trucked it to the basement.
I am terrifed of storms. And by storms I mean the ones where they sound the sirens, the whole TV screen is red where you live, and the hair stands up on the back of your neck. I do not like them. I do not play with thing's like that-the minute the sirens go off, L and I take cover. I would rather be safe than sorry.
I have to keep my terror at bay because I have a child. My job is to protect her and keep her calm in any and all situations. So, in a basement that wasn't our own, I was looking at Caillou books with L and praying in my head to whoever would listen. I kept thinking about those things that you don't want to think about. I kept thinking about how I was going to throw myself over her if I had to. I kept thinking about my Mom's last text message to me before we lost service and how terrified she probably was being two hours away and not being able to do a damn thing but listen to the news and watch it creep in on where her only daughter and granddaughter live.
It was too much.
It was way too much.
I now have a glimpse of what countless others have gone through and it was too much.
I actually prayed that we wouldn't die.
Someone heard me because we are still here.
We are all still here.
No fatalities, just minor injuries in the surrounding areas.
It's amazing what you think of in moments like this; like a tiny box with locks of hair in it.
All you want at that moment is for your daughter and you to both live to see the day she asks what they are.
And so you pray.
And you are heard.
***I do realize that there are people who have not been as lucky as I. To them, I send the sincerest condolences for their losses. My heart breaks for all who have lost someone in a tornado.***
0 comments:
Post a Comment
I love hearing from you! Please leave me a comment and let me know you stopped by!