Seeing Red (ii) | Previous Challenge Entry

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TITLE: Seeing Red (ii) | Previous Challenge Entry
By Debbie Thorkildsen
10/05/09
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“She has red hair.” I kissed the soft wisps on my newborn daughter’s head.

It took me two weeks to convince my husband that our second daughter actually had red hair. It was a golden red at first, so I can understand how he could think it might be blonde, but it grew out a beautiful dark auburn-red.

When our third daughter was also born with red hair, my husband accepted the fact right away. Our problem now was that our oldest daughter, a beautiful honey blonde, would cry because she didn’t have red hair. Our solution came in the form of an Anne of Green Gables straw hat with red braids attached. Our honey blonde could become a redhead anytime she wanted now, just by putting on her hat.

Going to the Anne of Green Gables days at Westfield Heritage Village was always fun for our daughters. We shopped at Value Village for a few months before, so we could pick up some old fashioned, long sleeved, almost ankle length green dresses, white pinafores, and high, lace-up granny boots. We also picked up some straw hats and a carpet bag.

Our oldest daughter was able to go in the Diana contest. Our second daughter took first place in the Anne contest and our third daughter got third place. We put our youngest daughter in the Minnie May contest. They all had a fun day, dressing up and pretending to be pioneers for the day. They really liked the sack races too.

We also took our girls to Prince Edward Island for a family holiday. We visited the home that Lucy Maud Montgomery visited often as a child and which she based her story on. I dressed my girls in green shorts and tops that day and braided their hair in typical Anne style. When we arrived, a little girl yelled excitedly, “There’s Anne right there,” as my second born emerged from the van. As my third born followed on her sister’s heals, the little girl declared in a high pitch, “There’s another one!”

We also visited an attraction that was set up like the village in the storybook and we lived our life with Anne Shirley for one day. Anne arrived with Matthew Cuthbert in a horse drawn wagon early in the day. Later, Anne and Diana Barry had a tea party on the lawn, but Diana drank too much of the raspberry cordial. Mrs. Rachel Lynde was gossiping on the steps of the theatre, but Marilla Cuthbert put a stop to that. Diana and Josie Pie played the piano and sang a duet in the church. Miss Stacy had to reprimand Anne after she broke her slate over Gilbert Blythe’s head. My girls had fun joining Anne at school with slates of their own. They also enjoyed the old-fashioned picnic with races and games after school.

My daughters don’t mind having red hair; actually, they like it. They get a lot of attention from strangers who want to know where their red hair comes from. At first they didn’t know how to answer, so we talked about it and now they answer, “From God.”

Most people tell them never to dye their hair because it is so beautiful. I just remind them that Anne’s hair turned green when she tried to dye it. They definitely don’t want to have green hair.

The only thing that bothers me about having daughters with red hair, are strangers who feel the need to label them ‘Redhead’ in public. That really makes me see red. Neither of my daughters are named ‘Redhead.’ I once had to bite my tongue to keep from calling a woman ‘Blackhead.’ It just seemed too rude to say, yet she had done the same thing to my little girl. I couldn’t call anyone ‘Whitehead’ either. These terms just seem to have such negative connotations as they are names of pimples.

Almost as annoying are the strangers who ask if their father has red hair. I’ve stopped trying to explain that it’s two recessive genes. I just say, “No, but our mailman does.” Most people don’t know how to respond to that.

My daughters really enjoy eating foods they can dip in ketchup. I teased my one daughter that she has red hair because she eats so much ketchup. She just rolled her eyes at me, but it made her smile too.

I’m so glad to have daughters with beautiful long hair, whether blonde or red.

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