July 14, 2008

Pretty Girl

I was sitting by the water this weekend with nothing to do but chat and read my book (which is pretty much all I ask for from a vacation at the moment), so Firefly got her first bitty twists.
I didn't have a comb or product, just a cup of water, so it was a little messy. I tried it again the next day and it looked better. But in order to be "authentic" and "honest" and all that, I resisted swapping in the second-day photos.
It was a fun diversion for me, but it also unexpectedly sparked a really good discussion with the other folks in that corner of the deck about transracial parenting. This is a group of four families with whom we go to the same cabin each year, a tradition started when we were still single, childless college students. Of the eleven kids between us, ten have blond hair and blue eyes. The eleventh is Firefly. I think there has been some uncertainty among them about whether it's okay to acknowledge Firefly's race or if they're supposed to pretend to be colorblind. Somehow twisting up her curls in a way none of their daughters' silky hair would ever go opened the floor for them to ask the questions they'd been holding onto.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

She looks adorable -- and so summery in her little dress, too. I'm glad that sparked a good discussion.

Anonymous said...

Too cute.
I agree with Kendra, regardless of how close of friends you are, sometimes it does take some prodding to address an issue.

Ariella said...

She looks adorable! So do you prefer people to pretend to be color blind or to ask about it? Because while I am sure it would be anoying if everyone you met asked about it, I don't think it would be healthy if it was never mentioned either.

Meg Weber Jeske said...

Such great photos - the little twists are adorable.

And yay for discussion and asking questions. We run in to similar conversations with Q and often her hair is the place people feel comfortable jumping in.

Heather said...

Thanks, everyone! She is so cute, I can barely stand it sometimes.

Ariella, it's a good question. I think it's rude when strangers to ask about Firefly's race/adoptive status just to satisfy their own curiosity. But among adults we're close with, it would be a little odd if it never came up, in the same way it would be odd if they never acknowledged that I didn't birth my kids. Because we're constantly talking about parenting and family, and race/adoption play into those for me.

Sherry said...

She is so cute and the little twists are adorable.
http://femalereproduction.blogspot.com

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