‘Grandma loves seeing the red curls on her granddaughters’
Photography: Nine IJff
Anne Marij (35) has a relationship with Stefan (34). Together with her mother Lies (68) and daughters Jonna (4) and Sammie (1), they form three generations with reddish hair.
Anne Mary: “’Hai Pippi Longstocking, I do my own way!’ Thus Jonna, singing loudly about her great heroine, during our holiday in Sweden. Her red locks made it even more comical. As a baby, Jonna already had a beautiful glow because of her red hair – she popped out of the box. Everyone said something about it and she is still regularly told that she has beautiful hair. She herself is proud of it: ‘I have red hair, and so do Mummy and Sammie!’
My father had a ginger beard and my mother has always had a chestnut glow by nature. She is now gray and she paints it. She used to be proud of my red curls and freckles and loves to see them reflected on her granddaughters. Especially with Sammie going on, who looks most like me with her dark brown eyes, she feels like she’s going back in time.
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Red hair
Everything is said about redheads. We’d burn out quickly – that’s not too bad for me – and be left-handed and temperamental. Jonna is definitely the latter, but I was shy as a child. According to the famous song from the seventies, we can kiss well. Just such a fable, of course, although I used to love to sing it during carnival. Recently I was cycling with Sammie in front and called out to a woman: ‘Such beautiful hair, enjoy it!’ Every mother with children is easy to talk to, but with us it is always about one thing.
I used to think: if only I was blonde or dark. Not that I was unhappy with my hair or being bullied, but I did feel different. As a child you want to fit in, not stand out. Plus, I wasn’t sure how to match my clothes with it. It quickly faded. Around the age of 20, I did a color analysis and discovered that colors that I never embraced, such as purple and burgundy, actually enhance my look. Since then I choose those shades more often and I have come to appreciate my hair more. Now I like it when it pops nicely.
Redhead Days
Years ago I went to the Redhead Days, a Dutch festival where redheads from all over the world come together. A special experience: you don’t know anyone, but you still feel a connection with each other. When my girls are older I will definitely go there with them.”
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