Just when I thought I had it all under control
Just when I thought I had it all under control, Hashem threw me a curve ball.
The mikvah thing was getting so much easier now that I wasn't dreading the water, didn't panic just thinking about putting my head under, wasn't shaking with fear as I walked down the steps into the mikvah. I thought I had the routine down pat. And then this.
Let's just say that my hair was very very long. It definitely would have gotten in the way of tying a sash, were I inclined to wear dresses with sashes. It reached my waistband in the back. It was long. In the mikvah, I swept it all off one shoulder and held it as I went under, letting go as I came back up. But not only was my hair long, it was thick and heavy. It was starting to pull my snoods and tichels off my head, unless I kept it braided and partially up. It wouldn't fit under a sheitel, which is usually no great loss, since I rarely wear one. A family simcha was coming up, and I wanted to wear a sheitel to it. Since I needed to cut my hair anyway, I decided to cut enough to donate it, while my hair is still mostly a dark chestnut brown, before it starts going silver/white. After all, I'm not getting any younger, and my family has tendency to premature grey. So I put my hair in my usual two braids, and cut them off.
I cut off a foot of braid and my hair still comes just to my shoulders. Did I mention it was long? My hair hasn't been this short since I was first married! Oh. I forgot, but was reminded the very next time I went to mikvah, exactly why my hair hasn't been this short since I first got married. It's just too short to hold with one hand as I go under, and umm, when my hair is this length, it FLOATS!
That had to be the most traumatic mikvah experience I've had in years. I was practically in tears, because the shomeret couldn't be sure my hair had all been under too. I might no longer be afraid of the water, but I still can't swim, and I don't exactly enjoy being under the water, so I'm fast. Too fast. And it didn't help that the mikvah water was especially deep and buoyant that day. I just couldn't get far enough under, or stay down long enough. I finally had to rely on my old heter, for at least 1 Kosher tevilah. I had one definitely good dip, two probably okay ones, (and at least half a dozen "sorry, I couldn't tell if all your hair got under" ones) and I was done. Oh and next time, I am bringing a hairnet.* It's already in my purse.
*ask your own shaylah, by all means, but I already have permission to use a hairnet from my early married days.
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