A Cut Above

Labor day proved to be a labor of love this year. My mother called this morning to ask a favor. She wanted a hair cut. This was not such an unusual request considering that I regularly cut the hair of Alex and myself. (I am pretty handy with the clippers if I do say so myself.) However, this is the first time a woman has asked me to shave her head bald. Yes, the radiation that Mom has been subjected to has caused her hair to start falling out in clumps. Rather than fight it, she did the smart thing and said, "To Hell with it!" She says she never liked her hair anyway. My clippers don't give a perfectly smooth finish, so I encouraged Mom to use a razor to remove the stubble. Ever the optimist, she donned a "do-rag" and remarked that the stubble helped hold the scarf in place. "Kinda like Velcro," I commented. She laughed and agreed.

Since her energy level is not as high as she'd like, Mom hasn't been able to mow the yard. So I cut the grass while she swept up the hair on the bathroom floor. While out pushing the mower, I thought about how things balance out in life. Mom used to cut my hair when I was a kid. Now I cut hers. She used to take me to doctor appointments. Now I take her. She was there for me whenever I was scared. Now I'm there for her. I'm glad I can repay the favor. I'll says this, though- she was much better at giving a haircut.

After cutting Mom's hair and her yard, I came home and cut our dogs' claws and brushed their hair. First, I brushed and trimmed Elwood. He tolerated it alright and didn't give me too much grief even after cutting one claw too short and drawing blood. Then it was Princess's turn. Ten minutes and a half-gallon of slobber later, she was looking lady-like again. That left old man Jake. His hair was falling out in clumps as I used the de-shedding comb. I had noticed lately that he was looking pretty rough. He's almost 14 years old now, you know. Well, he got tired of being brushed so I switched to cutting his nails. He made a feeble attempt to escape and succeeded only in crapping on my leg. I sighed a "thanks a lot" sigh and finished up. When all was said and done there was a pile of fur and claws that covered approximately three square feet of the porch. I was covered in hair, drool, blood, and poo. And I was grateful. I was glad to have three neurotic dogs that need to be groomed. They need me. They love me. And I love them.

I was glad to have a mother who needed me, too. She loves me. And I love her. In life, there are times when we do unglamorous things for the ones we love. Be it cutting hair, cutting the grass, or cutting a dog's claws we do what needs to be done. Joy can be found in even these tasks when we realize how lucky we are to have people (and pets) in our lives who love us unconditionally and only occasionally need us to do something for them in return. We should all be more than happy to oblige. I am. Indeed, this Labor Day proved to be a cut above the rest.