Number 57: Gifting my hair to CANSA

One of my daily practices is to be lighter in the world, I look with intent at my spaces and everything in my places.

I declutter, I repurpose, I gift, I regift, I pass it on, I donate, I arrange, I trash, I organise, I use, I make, I fix, I share, I consume, I provision with a light hand, I purchase when replacing...

Number 57:

Gifting my hair to CANSA 

The practice is creative and highly rewarding. The cumulative effect of many years of this practice has been remarkable. Sometimes the actions I take are very small, like passing on hangers but sometimes, like today, the actions are far more meaningful to me.

Today I took out a small plastic bag from my trunk. My hair. Three long plaits, cut when I was 13 years old. Looking at my photos, these thick brown plaits feature in all my school photos. Mom made a special moment of the trip to the hairdresser, took photos and then kept the hair for me. Now, 5 decades later I am looking at my hair, remembering and know that it is time to let my couple of meters of hair go and to keep just the memories that are wrapped up in the plastic bag.

So to honor my mother, who died of cancer 25 years ago, I am taking my hair to CANSA's Head Office in Befordview. They accept donations and have wigs made which are given to cancer survivors who need it most.

A photo taken by my Mom the day I went to the hairdresser, age 13 and my couple of meters of hair.