The gum tangled in my fourteen-year-old son Ethan’s hair nearly ruined months of effort he had put into helping his best friend. I thought getting through the haircut and donating his hair would be the end of the story. Instead, the following morning, I received a call from his school asking me to come in for a meeting. When I arrived, I discovered that Ethan had been helping his friend with another project, one that had created a misunderstanding between her family and the school.

The trouble began when Ethan came home with chewing gum stuck in his hair. I reached for the scissors, but he immediately stepped away.

“Please don’t cut it, Mom! Try using ice to harden the gum first.”

I looked at my fourteen-year-old son, who had spent months growing his hair longer than he had ever worn it before. He was determined to keep it long enough to donate to an organization that helped create wigs for children experiencing hair loss.

His determination had a personal reason. His best friend, Lily, had been receiving medical treatment that caused her hair to fall out. The two had known each other since elementary school, sharing classroom projects, school activities, and countless ordinary afternoons together.