Before and After

  

Grant is the Marilyn Munster of the Brown Family. He is smart, good looking, and funny but different from the rest of us because of his hair. We know that he gets grief from the Middle School crowd, Neil Peart's lyrics from Subdivisions playing in my head, "conform or be cast out," but his strength is being different from the rest of the pack.  

I love, love, love Grant's hair. The genetic roulette landed on red for him; the result of red heads on both sides of his parents - although neither one of us are Gingers. He gets a lot of complements, especially from women - something that will work in his favor down the road.

While his brother looks good with shorter hair, Grant has always looked good with long, slightly unkempt hair. A mop.  Grant keeps is neat and brushed but ten minutes after he does that, it's a mess again. It seemed to fit his personality somehow. 

On the second to last day of 6th Grade, Grant decided to get a haircut. Not a trim, keeping the back long and the hair out of his eyes, but a dramatic new look.  He went in looking like a boy and came out a young man. The change, for me as a parent, was profound. He looked like he was more ready to enter High School than 7th Grade. I know I will get used to the new look in time, but for now I keep asking myself, "who is that guy?!"

He is simply awesome.