I saw him sitting in the sun in the kitchen. His eyes were closed and his head back. Turned towards the sun. He was swaying his head gently from side to side. I wondered what he was doing, swaying and humming to himself when I realized he was swaying his head so that his long sun-blond curls could tickle his neck and shoulders. One of my most treasured memories of my son's childhood, forever imprinted!

My son has always had beautiful long curled locks. We called them his angel curls because they looked truly angelic. Strangers used to stop us in the street to comment on his hair. Others would say that I had a beautiful daughter and sometimes well meaning friends would suggest that I give him a more boyish haircut. I always felt that his long hair didn't make him less boyish. I resolved that the curls will stay until he was ready to have them cut.

Well that day came sooner than I thought. At five and a few months old he comes home one afternoon and tells me that he wants to have his hair shaven like another boy in his class. He takes his hand and moves his hair off his forehead to show me how short it should be. I told him, okay, maybe we will give him a cut for the summer holiday. I thought he might forget.

He didn't of course and started asking everyday for a haircut. It didn't help that the dry Toronto weather and static has pretty much straightened out all his curls and because we have never been in the habit of brushing his hair it was looking pretty wild and unkempt.

Saturday was the day. I wet his hair, pulled it back into a pony and started cutting. No pre-amble, no drama I thought. I am just going to dive in and do this. 40 minutes later it was all gone. I put on a brave face and told him how handsome he looked. He rushed to the mirror and stared at himself with an unrestrained giggle. He loved it. He strutted around the house like a peacock, swaying his head from side to side and enjoying the lightness of his new cut and the air on his ears and neck.

I had to hide in the bathroom for a little while to have a little cry. I loved his hair so much. It was so like me. My kids look so much like their Dad that I loved the link of our curly hair.

He was delighted that he looked even more like his Dad and Steve showed him how to put some hair product on to style it. 

On Sunday, the day after the cut I just wanted to hold him. It felt a little like I was grieving for his hair. Silly, I know! At the same time, it was lovely to cuddle him close and not have a face full of hair.

To commemorate the occasion I took a few pictures of the two boys. To celebrate their similar styles and their father and son bond. It has been a while since I captured some father and son pictures - just the two of time and time moves so quickly. Everything changes so quickly and the haircut was a start reminder of that.