Locks of Love: Four sisters offer a gift to help other children

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Dec. 21, 2006

Some young parishioners in the Diocese of Sioux City have had a lesson that is truly fitting for this Advent season. It has been a lesson in waiting.

When the two oldest daughters of Ed and Eileen Lord asked if they could donate their hair to Locks of Love, their younger sister Therese Marie was on board with the idea. Eileen suggested that they wait until the youngest sister Annie had hair long enough to give to the organization as well.

"I thought it would be neat if we waited until all four of them could do it," said Eileen. "They have been waiting for a couple of years to be able to do it together. I wanted them to remember it as a sister-thing and I didn't want Annie to feel left out when she got older."

The girls usually get their hair cut twice a year - a summer cut and winter cut. When the girls had haircuts last summer, the stylist had mentioned that Annie's hair would be long enough to make the donation by Christmas.

As they waited for the big occasion, the girls counted down the days much the same as children do for Christmas.

"I started telling them about the Gift of the Magi, which is one of my favorite Christmas stories. It is a great story - truly about what giving is all about. The lady cuts her hair to buy her husband a gold watchband and he sells his watch to buy her some beautiful combs for her hair," said Eileen. "I tell them (her children) that this is what it is all about. It's about giving and sacrificing."

Lisa Leopold, a hair stylist at The Scissors Palace, cut the hair of the Lords four daughters on Dec. 17. The girls and their ages are Natalie, 12; Sophie, 10; Therese Marie, 7 and Annie, 4. The Lords also have a son, Matthew, 15.

While Leopold mentioned that several of her customers have given to Locks of Love through the years, this is the first time she has had four at one time.

"Eileen is a friend, so this has been really fun for me," she said.

Ed mentioned that it was great the girls were finally getting their haircuts because they had been talking about it for a long time.

"They were pretty excited about this but as we got closer, they became a little nervous about parting with their hair. I was always the one who liked long hair but when I heard they were going to do this I thought it was great," noted Ed.

He pointed out that they have been very blessed and this was one of the blessings they could share with others. He extended thanks to Leopold for giving of her time to cut the girls hair.

Natalie, a sixth-grader at Holy Cross School-Blessed Sacrament Center, mentioned that she first heard of Locks of Love when she was in the fourth grade. A couple of her classmates had given to the organization at that time.

"I felt it was for a good cause and I really liked the idea," she said.

Prior to her haircut Natalie said she was excited and nervous.

"It's way better than I thought it would be," Natalie said after the cut. "I love it. It's amazing."

Sophie, who was the first to get her haircut, pointed out that it felt weird with all of her hair gone.

"It's not what I'm used to," she said. With 10 inches off her hair fell just below the shoulders and that was the shortest "by far" she can ever remember her hair. She loved her new cut, though.

Therese Marie, who they call Tess, said she wanted to give her hair to Locks of Love after she heard her sisters talking about it.

"It sounded really fun," she said.

Before the haircut, Therese Marie, also said she was nervous.

In the end, all of the girls loved their new short hairdos. Little Annie thought her haircut made her look older, but thought her big sister Sophie looked younger.

"It's so exciting," she told her mother after the cut. "I can even eat French toast now."

Eileen explained that she would always have to pull Annie's hair back when she ate so she wouldn't get food in her hair.

When the final child had gotten her haircut, Eileen acknowledged that it was a little emotional for her because she thought all of the girls looked older with their new look.

Ed said the girls looked fantastic.

As the hairstylist had cut the girls' hair, she first put it in a loose ponytail and braided the hair. After the hair was cut, a ribbon was tied to the braided locks of hair. Each of the girls selected a ribbon of a different color at a fabric store just before they went for the haircuts.

The two oldest girls selected Christmas colors. Natalie opted for red and Sophie, green. The girls viewed this donation as a Christmas gift. Theresa Marie chose lavender because she likes that color and Annie, a self-professed tomboy, went with blue.

The Lords are proud of their children for making this donation and giving something of themselves.