Local girl gives hair for others

(As printed in the May 8, 2013 edition of the Lake Stevens Journal.)

In a time when true altruism is in short supply, it is a breath of fresh air when we come across an act of selflessness such as the story you are about to read.

Let me introduce you to an amazing young lady named Emma McNamara. On the eighteenth of April Emma celebrated her tenth birthday. On that day, she had only one thing on her mind, helping children who have cancer.

I suppose this would be a good time to mention that this remarkable girl happens to be my daughter.

Imagine our surprise when my wife Courtney and I heard her tell us that she wanted to shave her head and donate her hair to children who cannot grow their own because they have been afflicted with cancer.

At first this was a bit of a difficult decision for my wife and I. However, Courtney always says, “Teach your children how to think, not what to think.” So fueled by those words of wisdom, off to the Elle Marie Salon in Lake Stevens we went.

That day, Emma parted with thirteen inches of hair that was immediately shipped to Locks of Love and will soon be bringing a smile to a sweet child’s face.

The lessons to be derived from this beautiful ten year old’s courage are many. Nowadays, when bullying runs rampant in our schools and most people would prefer to stare at someone instead of ask a question, a ten year old girl with no hair is bound to turn an inquisitive head or two.

That was never a matter of concern for Emma. She had a desire in her heart that outweighed any potential obstacle that may have presented itself.

Children can be our best teachers if we would only allow them. A child’s untainted view of the world can provide a fresh perspective on life and all of its complexities if we permit ourselves to peer through their eyes every now and again.

The views a child holds on life and how it all works can offer us a beautifully, simplistic analysis of some of our greatest struggles. All we have to do is open our minds, close our mouths and listen with our hearts.