Shades of gray

This commercial is one that has always stuck with me from my early years, for some reason.

                                   

In fact I knew this song before I knew the real song.

Well, it's taken me 42 years to get here, but I've started to go gray. Will I wash that gray right out of my hair? Remains to be seen...

To be honest, I'm the only one who actually knows they're there - so far. I've only found five total - so far. I wasn't sure if they were blondies or grays, because they're quite bright and I have a lot of natural highlights in my hair - but I suspected gray, or actually white. My hairdresser confirmed it for me. She kept not seeing any, but when I finally found it again to show her, she confirmed it was a gray. Though I'm not happy about graying, I'm happy to have it confirmed as I prefer to deal with reality.

So here you have it: Number 42 NEW is - going gray.... hopefully with grace.

Many tell me it's no big deal and roll their eyes at me because they went gray years earlier. Well, fine. Perhaps I have some level of vanity about going gray - is that so wrong?  Probably, but it's probably pretty human too. I don't have a whole lot of vanity, particularly when it comes to beauty. I'm frequently reminded of Jo and Amy in "Little Women," when Amy says to Jo, "Jo - how could you? Your one beauty!"

Yep, it's my one beauty...  this was it. I'm frequently asked if I dye it this color, but I've never even considered it - I just love it. The color and highlights are all as natural as can be - it's a color others dye their's to be. Hmm, guess these bright white hairs are natural as can be too, aren't they. Sigh. Well, it's okay. I'm surviving far worse than this - what's a little lost external beauty?

It's definitely not a NEW of my choosing, but so many things aren't of our choosing so why not officially count some NEWs that aren't of my choosing, right? After all, other things not of my choosing or wishing are what led me to where I am now: unemployed in GREEEEEENLAND!

Oh, sorry, I was thinking of someone else - I was never personally unemployed in Greenland, but this... this thorn in my flesh has brought me unimaginable grief and anxiety, ongoing loss, great weight gain, and - well, a severe lack of zest for life and the future.

Yet grace has brought me out of there to here - to where ever here is... still a place with all that unpleasantness, but one that is also full of hope that beauty can arise from darkness, a belief that even this shall not go unredeemed, and faith that His mercies truly are NEW every morning!

Week 25 of Photo 52: Shimmering

Shimmeringly new!

So now, well I guess now I live here - with gray hair. So be it.

Still, I don't think I've progressed enough to be held responsible for what might happen the next time I hear the jokes about how the cause of gray hair is children...  Ehhh - just kidding, I'm sure. Out of necessity, I've occasionally become slightly better at handling these type of annoying comments. (Ohhhhh - to have gray hair AND children! I'd gladly give whatever vanity is left for that!)

Anyhow, now that I've had the white grays confirmed, I'll own it. I'll own them as whites, anyhow... I asked the hairdresser if they're white or gray and she said, "It's the same thing, you know." Sorry while I beg to differ. We all know the difference between a white sweater and a gray sweater, after all. There's a reason I avoid buying white... because I'm too lazy with laundry and don't want them to turn gray. Why would there be two different names of these colors if they were the same thing?  Pshaw!  I am okay with owning it, but they're bright whites - not grays!

Aren't you relieved that the little bit of vanity I do still have is still alive and well?

Week 26 of Photo 52: Photographer's Choice (or maybe a Rorschach test!)

Speaking of gray, my little gray cells have no idea what shape the future holds, but as I near the end of this New at 42 challenge, I find myself more trusting that it will be okay.

I started this all off with an Emily Dickinson poem, which my blog is named after. Now, with only one (already established) NEW to go, a midst graying hairs and a fast approaching 43rd birthday, I present another apt Emily Dickinson-ism: We turn not older with years, but newer every day. 

One more official NEW to go before my challenge is met.