Gingers DO have souls

Take a look at this little girl and tell me she’s not beautiful. That cheeky smile, those blue eyes, and most importantly, that lovely red hair.

If I’d had a pound for every comment I had from someone before Isla was born that was something along the lines of “let’s hope you don’t have a ginger baby!” I’d be a millionaire. Seriously, many people made jokes like “send it back if it’s ginger!” or “shave its head!” I’m dark haired but Hubs is blonde and was red-haired as a baby, so the odds were always high that Isla would be a redhead, and when she was born with lots of red hair I was thrilled.

I’ve never understood the stigma attached to ginger hair, I think it’s gorgeous. My first boyfriend was ginger and his hair never bothered me (the fact that he looked like the Shermanator from the American Pie movies never bothered me either…) but I got plenty of  stick for having a ginger boyfriend. I mean, even Colin Firth allegedly almost missed out on being Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice because he was “too ginger“! Plus don’t even get me started on THAT South Park episode about “Gingivitis”…

Look at all the gorgeous redheads in the public eye: Prince Harry, Nicole Kidman, Alyson Hannigan, Amy Adams, Ed Sheeran, Emma Pilsbury from Glee, Christina Hendricks from Mad Men, you get my drift…

When she’s older, I think Isla will be a Nicole Kidman, with her porcelain skin, long legs and auburn hair. She gets loads of compliments on her hair, I’ve lost count of the amount of little old ladies who’ve gushed over her colouring (“ooooh look at that lovely hair! My grandson/son/great grandson/cat/guinea pig had hair that colour!”) and honestly, doesn’t it suit her? I love Isla’s hair and her dainty, English Rose colouring and hope it never changes.

I’m sure she’ll be teased by someone at some point about her hair, but I’ll make sure Isla knows that those morons who pick on her are the ones in the wrong and that her hair is beautiful. But could someone PLEASE tell me why gingers are ridiculed? I’ve never understood it. If someone has an answer please tell me because I don’t get it!

About Rachel Armitage

I’m a writer turned stay at home mum, raising our little redheaded beauty out in the sticks and documenting journey along the way, the good, the bad and the very very ugly!