i am not my hair

i used to use the india.arie song, "i am not my hair," with the middle school girls i worked with. trying to help them see there was more to them than their appearance.

well, it turns out i never really registered the entire song.
i heard it the other day and just sat there with my jaw on the floor...
here's the part that stopped me dead in my track:s

"...i am not my hair
i am not this skin
i am not your expectations no
i am not my hair
i am not this skin
i am a soul that lives within

does the way i wear my hair make me a better person?
does the way i wear my hair make me a better friend?
does the way i wear my hair determine my integrity?
i am expressing my creativity

breast cancer and chemotherapy
took away her crown and glory
she promised god if she was to survive
she would enjoy everyday of her life
her diamond eyes are sparkling
bald headed like a full moon shining
singing out to the whole wide world like hey...

i am not my hair
i am not this skin
i am not your expectations no
i am not my hair
i am not this skin
i am a soul that lives within..."

supposedly, india.arie wrote the last part of the song after watching the grammys in 2005. there she watched melissa etheridge perform bald after going through a lumpectomy and chemo for breast cancer. india.arie said, "her performance brought tears to my eyes. at that moment in time, her performance was a juxtaposition of pain and beauty. it symbolized the beauty of strength."


grammys: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_j3TDhc8vY
india.arie's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZd1KeZhjfU