SCARLETT

This past weekend was the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Just quality time spent with my sisters, their families, my family, and a new boat--courtesy of my older sister and her husband. It was a long start getting there, with my three children and her one. Packing a picnic for the boat, packing a pack-n-play for the babe, toys for the girls, and everything that goes with the smallest people (which is the MOST stuff).

Once we finally hit the road to get to the boat landing we realized we forgot (dun dun dun)... TOWELS. The most basic of basics. And we are practically in the middle of nowhere. Luckily, we happened to pass a dollar store close to the boat landing. Lo and behold, there were no beach towels in the store. We ended up buying bath towels. They work too.

All of that to say, what I actually wanted to blog about ( I apparently write how my mother tells stories, a bunch of unnecessary details). It was later that night, when everyone had gone to bed or gone home, and my older sister and I were sitting quietly downstairs, sipping red wine and watching Outlander (I’m trying to get her addicted to it), that we got on the topic of “ Redheads.”  

My father had red hair (he has passed away) and my older sister is a natural redhead. She mentioned that when she was pregnant she hoped that her baby didn’t come out with red hair. I realize that there are a lot of other things that are more important than hair color, that is not what I’m discussing. She said that people were cruel and mean to her growing up. She didn’t want her baby to have the same sort of experiences. And when he came out, she breathed a sigh of relief that his hair is blonde.

With all that being said, my middle is a redhead. And she LOVES it. During my pregnancy with her, I had originally had another name in mind (which is now her little sisters name), but I just FELT deep within that she was Scarlett. I also might have literally seen red at times while pregnant with her...talk about some serious rage. When Scarlett came out with red hair, my heart dropped (a teeny tiny bit). I didn’t want her to have the same experiences and hatred of her hair color that my sister had.

On with the discussion: But one thing we did discuss was how much our world has changed within the last 30 years. My sister said when she was growing up, red hair was something people made fun of. How many red headed teenage actress can you think of in the 80’s and 90’s, that wasn’t the “ugly” one (minus Julia Roberts)? How many jokes can you think of that are derogatory towards “gingers” ?  

This all might be regional too?

But I do feel like social media and the internet(with all its bad), also comes some good. Globalization. We love to look and read about other cultures, where having red hair isn’t so different. Thank you, Ireland and Scotland and Nordic countries!

At naptime today, Scarlett and I read, “There Was a Wee Lassie Who Swallowed A Midgie” She pointed to the little girl on the cover and said that was her. Over her short little life, my husband and I have made it a point to point out every beautiful, smart, funny, talented, kind, redhead that we see to her. People are always stopping and making time to talk to Scarlett about her hair, saying the kindest things. If God could give anyone red hair, I’m so blessed he chose to give it to her. She has the heart of lion. She is determined to marry a prince. The oldest soul you’ve ever met but also one of the BRIGHTEST. People are attracted instantly to her.

Some of our favorites (whether they be fictional or non) have red hair: Jamie Fraser, Sansa Stark, Queen Elizabeth, Mary Queen of Scots, Julia Roberts, Prince Harry, Ed Sheeran (who I was convinced I was going to meet on the streets on Scotland. Why? Because I wanted to), Anne of Green Gables, Merida, Anna of Arendelle, and Ariel (ps. Thank you, Disney!) AND HOW COULD I FORGET SCARLETT'S FAVORITE BOOK CHARACTER, FANCY NANCY?! She is literally Scarlett in every.single.way

And just for old time sake! Her hair took forever to grow in but boy, do I love her and her hair!

Photo by: Megan Martin Photography