It is day 31 in the Collar Countdown.

Today was all about recharging.

In the a.m., Tanja announced that she was going to cancel her 8 am PT session. This was surprising as she has been fairly clock-worky about these things. And she is more apt to over-do than to kick back. So this seemed like a sign that some rest was badly needed.

In terms of concrete, reportable breakthroughs, today was the first time she was able to shampoo and comb out her own hair. That makes it sound like she has been busy shampooing and combing out other people’s hair, which is not the case. It has simply been too much for her to hold her arms up like that for as long as these operations take, especially with the tangles that develop in her curly locks. But today, she did it!

It is, on the balance, a good thing. I have very much savored the time I have gotten to spend washing and combing her hair. And I feel I have gotten better and better at it. The snarls and tangles are not things my own hair is capable of developing, so there has been much learning as to the proper application of conditioner and techniques for pulling at knots without hurting the combee. That’s all details though. The great part about washing and combing someone’s hair is that it’s just another way to feel connected and to give care.

But Tanja doesn’t want me to comb her hair for the rest of her life. And I suppose I don’t want to do it either, not really. But did I feel a little surge of self-esteem when I was called upon to deal with the two very most recalcitrant knots that she simply could not conquer solo? I will let you imagine my joy.