Change for the better

This weekend, my daughter and I attended the University of Minnesota Relay for Life.

My niece's best friend is the director of fundraising for Colleges Against Cancer/Relay for Life and had asked me to donate a makeover (which I did) and also to help out with the Locks of Love hair cutting/auction. The relay and supporting the fight against the disease is close to my heart. I have seen firsthand, family and friends fight the battle. Most have won and some have lost, even after the bravest of fights. What I find most important in all this is to be strong, positive and to always be true to whatever cause it is you get behind.

During the Relay, a group of college girls that have grown out their hair, have it cut on stage as the crowd donates money. The donor gets to choose their cutter. I was there to even out the hair afterwards.

Now, these are college students—19-to 23-year-olds. And although they had decided to cut their hair for a great cause, their decision to cut was causing quite a bit of anxiety and worry about the sudden, major change in their appearance. My daughter, who had come along to "help" me, suddenly decided to donate her hair.

It's funny how that little thing made such a difference in the mood of all the other participants. When asked if she was sure about cutting off 10 inches of her hair she said: "It's just hair. It will grow back, plus Mom ... someone needs it."

Maybe my daughter has been listening to me all these times I have reminded her that "the only constant in life is change." Even though I am someone who constantly works on changing peoples' looks, it still made me pause and consider—really realize—how important it is to be open to it.