Diversity and Inclusion Matters

Chapter 12DE&I Committees

Focus on the Right Things

Recently my spouse and I sat down to watch a video of our kids when they were very young. In the video I think Justus was barely four, and Piper was not quite two. Amazing as it sounds, it was the first time I had really seen Piper's hair.

For years whenever we discussed Piper as a small infant or toddler, we would say, “Poor Piper did not have any hair until she was almost four!” We would go on and on about how wonderful it was when she finally had enough hair to put it in a ponytail. You see Piper's hair was very thin and wispy and could not be combed or brushed. My mother would tell us that we should comb it and instruct us in how my brother would blow-dry his daughter's hair straight. My mom would imply that the only real problem with Piper's hair was that her parents would not take the time to blow-dry and comb “poor” Piper's hair. I remember how my wife and I would lament about what to do with Piper's hair before every trip to my parents' house. At that time my parents lived about a 10-minute drive from our home, and we saw them every week. Piper's hair became quite an issue. We would try to comb it, but it was no use. In fact, even Piper would say, “I have crazy hair.” Our only relief from Grandma's suggestion that all Piper's hair needed was a blow-dry came one day when we left Piper at Grandma's house and went shopping for about two hours. As soon as my wife and I got back to Grandma's house and saw Piper, we both ...