Red Hair and Freckles

In 2004, Nicole Giladi gave birth to twins, a daughter with brown hair and a son with copper-colored hair.

When her son started walking, "I couldn't believe how much attention he got," she says.

But there were no books available that could explain to her son how special he was, she says. So she decided to write a book, "so that he can understand why he has red hair, why he has freckles, why he burns in the sun," she says. "Little Redheads Across America", 88 pages of kid-friendly facts about red-haired children (littleredheadsacrossamerica .com.

In "The Redhead Encyclopedia", Stephen Douglas estimates that 1% to 2% of the world's population has red hair.

This information is in an article in USA Today. What I found interesting was that the parents of the little red haired delights were teaching them to think of themselves as special instead of feeling odd or freakish. Unfortunately, I was unable to meet my hubby's mother, but I would have so many questions for her if I could meet her. My husband was the only one is his family of mother, father and two siblings with blazing red hair and freckles over his entire body. There weren't any others like him in the town he grew up in and it affected him negatively. Instead of feeling special or unique, he spent his childhood trying ways to be someone else. One of the ways was drugs. He discovered at a young age that drugs would transport him to a different place and he could be someone else and not a freak.

In a related CNN story, a twelve year old red headed boy was beaten up by a group of seventh and eight graders when encouraged by a Facebook page stating that Friday was Kick a Ginger Day referring to redheads and possibly inspired by an episode of the "South Park" series.

Fortunately, over the past few years he has been able to come to accept who he was at birth, accept the life he has led for most of his life, and let go of the disappointment he felt as a child feeling so different and isolated. So reading how parents are equipping their red headed children with a strong inner acceptance and ability to view themselves as unique and special filled me with delight. These children are given a chance for self esteem and acceptance. I look at the red headed kids here in the midwest and I think what a different life it would have been for my hubby if he had grown up here where there would have lots of children who looked like him. But that wasn't the way it was and it is what it is and things are good now. I think I will get that new book about red heads for hubby though. Smile. It is funny that I ended up with him, and when I was growing up I would wish I had read hair and freckles! Now I have them, just not on me!!!