I went to get my haircut last week with my favourite hairdresser.
I have not seen her in 6 months. I really needed a haircut.
She is a beautiful black woman with a shaved and fantastic head- so ironic considering her work.
She spends hours on other people’s heads every day and not a single minute on her own -ever.
( Can I remind you how badly a wasp would look with a shaved head?)
She was married to an Italian man many years ago and they had a beautiful baby boy. Their marriage failed and when they split up she shaved her head. There is an expression in Italian about cutting your hair being synonymous with taking back your identity. She really went for it.
As a single working mom she had little time to spend on her hair and besides this was an act of independence so deep she drew strength from it.
Today there was something different about her. She was alive with joy in a way I have never seen.
She has fallen in love.
One night 6 months ago she went to bed and prayed to God -“if I am meant to be alone – so be it- but if I am to be with another show me a sign.” She then said her favourite prayer from her childhood out loud.
The next day she got a call from man she had met earlier that month. He said he woke up in the night and found himself saying a prayer from his childhood. He said it to her.
She dropped the phone. It was the same prayer.
And so their courtship began.
I told her I was really excited for her.
She said ” I did not expect to find love, you know, given my age” (She is 46)
I said, hair wet and in sink, sink amplifying my words like a wind tunnel, ears filled with water,
” BULLSHIT” in a fairly loud voice.
“No, you know what they say about women of a certain age”
BULLSHIT! I cut her off
All expensive heads in Rosedale hair salon were now looking our way.
I can’t have you believe this or say it if we are going to be friends.
She laughed and said “You are right. Just look at me”
Yes just look at you.
I said “You aren’t going to grow your hair now are you?”
One word. Brilliant!
you get it and that is why I love you so
If more people called it when they see it, the world would smell of roses.
Thank you Nancy.
And the onlookers might have learned a thing or too. If not, I pity them.
Passion within reason is important. Sometimes things need shaking up.
Shakey Shakey, Wakey Wakey!
xo
i
passion within reason yes
but what about passion without reason, id?
Love it! We all need friends and women like you in our world to help point out the beauty and loving kindness that’s inside us all. Sometimes we may be unaware of our blind spots or that we’re putting our self down—B—–T! definitely is one way to break the vicious cycle and start looking at ourselves in a more positive light. The world needs more Nancys!
Thanks Patti
I always think if my friend says it about her it becomes her. We can’t utter these things! It might be contagious.