Why My Daughter's Shaved Head Makes Me Proud

She shaved her head. Buzzed her long, glorious hair right off. It was well past her shoulders, and now it stands one inch off her scalp. She says her head feels lighter, colder, too — she can feel the frigid Minnesota air unapologetically stealing her body heat directly from her crown as she walks to class.

I'm so proud of her. My daughter is absolutely unafraid to be herself.

If you don't know me, then I should tell you that I spent 15 years of my life, and my daughter's, being an at-home parent. I didn't have another job. I focused solely on my children. That was my work. I was thrilled to have the opportunity. It was the privilege of my lifetime, both in terms of where I wanted to be at the time and the choice I was afforded that so many parents aren't given.

The result of my station was that I had a front-row seat to my children's becoming. I have enjoyed an uninterrupted view of watching my oldest child's journey from timid and shy to self-assured and courageous. Now that she is in college, I admire so many things about her.

She's adventurous.

My daughter wants to travel the world. She's already seen more of it than I have. She toured five European countries when she was just 14 years old without knowing a single person on the trip before she departed. She chose a college 1,000 miles from home and was absolutely shining with happiness when we saw her that first family weekend we visited. She plans to spend her junior year abroad (an opportunity I squandered and still regret not taking), and I am here for it! And well, you already know this part: she shaved her head. If that doesn't show you her adventurous spirit, I don't know what would.

She's tenacious.

Ultimate Frisbee isn't a well known sport, but it's a big part of what defines my daughter. She has loved the sport since she was first introduced to it in 8th Grade. When she was 15, the team she had been a part of during her first year in high school was struggling to organize, so she stepped in. Her school wasn't particularly helpful, but that didn't weaken her resolve. In fact, it had the opposite effect. My daughter decided she wasn't going to take no for an answer. She searched tirelessly for a willing team sponsor, an available coach and a space for practices. She even took responsibility for arranging a schedule of scrimmages and tournaments with other teams. She made something out of nothing, which is a valuable life skill she'll carry with her into adulthood.

She's brilliant.

"Brilliant?" you ask skeptically. Yes. Brilliant. She is literally one of the smartest and most thoughtful people I know. She's book smart, yes, but more than that she is analytical and philosophical and just plain interested in the world. She loves learning new ways of thinking. She loves experiencing new people and places. She's endlessly curious. For me, one of the most gratifying things about her young adulthood is the discussions we have about what she's learning and thinking. It's absolutely fascinating, not just because she's my daughter, but because she has interesting things to say. Listening to her observations and well-formulated arguments challenges me to think and learn and question. 

It has been the privilege of my lifetime to be her mother. I love watching her learn to adult and begin to have her own impact on the world. 

I want to be just like her when I grow up.

This article was originally published on LinkedIn.