A New Adventure - Aging Gracefully

This post has nothing to do with books, nothing to do with homeschooling, nothing to with being a mommy (except in what I teach my daughters).  It is a completely vain post about hair. It is completely an unusual post for me, but since I think better through writing, here goes.

I am going gray.

I have fought it for years.  In fact, my Dad and Grandma both had a complete head of white hair by the time they were thirty.  I noticed my first gray hair at probably 20.  So, for years, I have dyed my hair.  

This is my hair dyed.  I always dye it a shade or two lighter than my natural hair color, which is dark brown. 

A fresh dye job for anniversary pictures

Over the last couple of years it has become a challenge to keep my hair dyed.  The white is growing.  Every three weeks or so my hair needs dyed, but dying that much is damaging.  My hair is naturally curly and somewhat dry anyway, so dying it makes it worse. Plus, even dying it at home adds up in cost. 

On the one hand, I'm not that old.  While many women my age (early 40s) may have some gray coming through, mine more predominant.  On the other, I am so tired of fighting to keep my hair dyed and healthy.  

A Slight Strip of Gray in between getting dyed.

So, I have decided to just go natural.  MyPinterest is exploding with pins on gracefully going gray young.  Apparently, I'm not alone.  Also, some are going white ON PURPOSE in their twenties!

This is a tough thing emotionally. I want to feel pretty, like most women.  I want to be desirable to my husband (though this has been his idea).  I want to feel energetic and, after some health issues, that has been challenging. However, I think I'm going to give it a shot.  If I hate it, I can always go back to the dye. 

A few weeks after my last time getting my hair dyed.

I have decided to chronicle this adventure. Like with my Facebook Fast, I like writing about experiences I have.  

I have five daughters.  How I view myself is how they will view themselves. If I'm constantly fighting to retain youth, instead of health, then how will they react when they get older?  Will they feel that aging diminishes them in some way?  Or will they embrace each season of their lives with joy and passion, living fully?  If I am an example, I need to set it purposefully. 

I had the one Grandma with complete white hair.  I had another grandmother that died her hair till she passed away.  Both were beautiful.  But no one though the dyed hair was really her color. I wonder if she would have loved her hair if she let it go natural. 

So, here's to my adventure.