There are social situations I avoid like the plague. Times where I'm forced into idol chit chat with strangers. My typically social personality has been replaced by an ability to be perfectly happy sitting by myself and watching the world go by.
The hair salon brings on ridiculous amounts of anxiety. So much that I have not had a professional haircut since early summer. There was no way I was returning to the same women who laughed with me as CJ kicked so much I had to ask her to stop so I could stand up for a moment. And starting over with someone new... You just know the question of children will come up. Yes, its a ridiculous worry, but one I have easily avoided while my hair had grown very long (for me).
Yesterday my daughter desperately needed a trim and had been stalking me for side bangs for weeks. We popped in without an appointment to a typical stripmall chain salon. I decided to brave the chair myself.
As the very chatty (God help me!) stylist washed my hair, she commented on how lucky I was to have such thick hair. I closed my eyes and tried to enjoy the warm water in the hopes she would pick up on my clues to massage my scalp quietly. No luck-she continued.
She told me that the only time her hair got thick was when she was pregnant at 40. Hmmmm.... Now she had my attention. Then she pulled her fingers back and they were entangled in lots off loose hair. The shedding joys of being post hormonal. I swear this woman knew my secret at that moment. She became very quiet, but kind. She slowed down her process, and even rubbed my temples quietly as my tears began to fall. I felt her turning her body to see if my 16 year old was within eyesight. Then she did the sweetest thing I can ever imagine... She told me SHE needed me to sit still for a few minutes while she deep conditioned my hair, placed a warm washcloth over eyes, and quietly chatted about the weather while I cried under that towel for a few moment. I felt her hand on my shoulder as she whispered "ready to rinse? I can wait." I took a deep breath and said I was ok.
The rest of the time in her chair she happily chatted away while slowly I slipped into the easy, casual banter that usually causes such anxiety now. She quietly dropped a few handfuls of loose hair nonchalantly. I was tempted to explain. The poor woman may have thought I was a cancer patient. But the words escaped me and she wasn't looking for an explanation.
How simply this angel was put in my path. In our brief encounter she protected a grieving mommy's broken heart without even knowing. I left with my spirit energized. I received a simple trim of brittle ends in so many ways.
Have you found an opportunity to share your light today? To allow hope a chance to bubble up for someone without explanation? I challenge you to #doitforcj
No comments:
Post a Comment