My brush with greatness

My sister bought me a Mason Pearson hairbrush when I was twenty years old. I still have it. I would like to tell you that I use it every day, but the truth is I would have to find it in order to do that. You see, my children have all but commandeered this treasure and routinely stash it for “safe keeping” from each other.

I have bought almost every other brush out on the market for their hair. The soft bristled, the extra-long, the copper infused, the detangling wonder, you name it and if it is available at major drug stores, Walmart, Target or Publix, chances are that we tried it. However, nothing works like my brush. That Mason Pearson, it ahem, coststwohundreddollars. I am hoping that you missed that part, but it’s important when discussing why I don’t have more than one of them.

When the kids were little, using one brush on three heads was not really a problem (mostly because babies and toddlers and post-partum new moms all have thin and sometimes falling out hair). As they have gotten older however, brushing three heads every morning before school almost always results in tears. I should mention that my husband shaves his head and therefore doesn’t even use a brush yet has urged me to spend WHATEVER IT COSTS FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY just to promote peace in the morning at our house. For the record, I usually skip brushing my hair until after they’ve left; it’s easier that way…

Last night, on the heels of yet another day that started with a 6:00 am wake time and slow death march out of the house at 8:30 a.m. – fifteen minutes before the school bell was due to ring (we live less than a mile from school, but still) I remembered this thing called ”the internet” where my husband viewed and purchased items and thy showed up to our door (try this thing, seriously, you must). I first typed in “Mason Pearson” and it was confirmed that yes, sadly, they still cost approximated one arm and one leg per brush. Then, (sly fox that I am) I typed in “closest thing to a Mason Pearson brush” and I got a hit, From Target. Of a nearly five star product. That my nearest store had three of. On the shelves.

This morning, I breezily plunked down $15.99 a piece (yes I bought two) which normally would seem astronomical but compared to my own was downright thrifty. They sat gleaming in identical hard plastic cases like precious ornaments or holiday edition Barbie’s would and the girls couldn’t wait to open them. These children, who claimed to be mine, who routinely wailed if I approached them with a hairbrush, giddily raked through the hot mess that was their hair post day of elementary-school living. It was a beautiful thing.