Thoughts

The process of going natural has made me become a researcher. I have tried to uncover as much about going natural as possible. I fell into youtube, quite by accident. I was researching ecostyler gel and the google search brought up a youtube link. I ended up watching hundreds of videos (maybe only a few, it just felt like hundreds). I got some good info, but I realized that I have to be careful about where and from whom I get my information. There are some good videos and information out there but a lot of people (unknowingly) give wrong info. I realized that many people are going natural but continue to have distorted views of natural hair. I was disturbed that one person on youtube made a video, approximately 6 minutes long about how she loved her natural curls and was contemplating getting her hair hotcombed just to have straight hair for a while. Her natural hair was beautiful and I don't have a problem with her or anyone having straight hair. She was very pretty as well, by the way. She made a part 2 video with straight hair and how she changed her mind and straightened her hair and her two hair idols were women who had straight hair! I am not saying that you have to be only one way or the other but shouldn't you admire and encourage what you are aiming for?! But for the few that just talk for 2 minutes at the beginning of their vids, there are plenty more who are willing to go indepth with their tutorials and offer valuable help. No matter what you do in life, you have wanna be's and doin' it's. I would rather hang with the doin' it's. Love.

Hindsight...

Thinking back to when I first had to BC, I remember how much I hated my hair, how damaged and harsh it looked, let alone recovering from a near fatal illness. I wasn't prepared for how I would look and what made it worse was the damage state of my hair because of my deteriorated health. As both my health and hair slowly recover, I am (as I've written before) falling in love with my hair. I appreciate, now, taking time to learn how to care for my hair, listening and feeling for changes: too oily, too dry, too crunchy, knowing when to co-wash or deep condition, feeling comfortable with not doing anything at all to my hair. The list is endless. I have a new appreciations for myself and how "wonderfully made" we are by Jehovah. I appreciate taking care of what I have been given, both from within and otherwise. Love.

Lovin' my hair

I am finally growing into my hair. Short, sweet, and petite (my hair I mean). It's thick and lush and moisturized and hennaed and 100% naturally mine. My hair is growing like weeds, I've always read that doing less to your hair will make it grow. This past week-end, I hennaed and then indigoed my hair. Too cute. I almost get misty eyed when I think that sooner or later my hair will get longer and longer and no more will I be able to rock the short and sweet, but as usual I put the cart before the horse. Right now, let me just enjoy each stage as it comes.

PS...I am getting complimented on my hair left and right now. I just started to use aloe vera gel and it defined my curls better than a webster's dictionary and the word: "triskaidekaphobia". My routine is: Deep condition weekly, co-wash every two or three days, apply some leave-in conditioner, top with aloe vera gel, seal with shea butter (unrefined, but scented). You know what I haven't started since beginning this journey...a photo album of hair changes!!!! How weird is that. Tomorrow, I will take the first pics, promise. Love, peace, and aloe vera gel. Nite Y'all!

Ugg...

In this horrible economy, am I wrong to want to leave a full-time position with benefits for a part-time position with none? On the surface, yes, but once you dig deeper, you see that there is a pretty good debatable point. When I came out of the hospital at the end of January, I received a letter from my insurance company that my insurance wouldn't be accepted or considered "in-network" at the hospital I was just discharged from!!! The major life altering hospitalization and its records were at a hospital I was not able to go to unless I wanted to pay out of pocket and that wasn't about to happen. Also, I was in a sticky situation, my daughter was just discharged from hospital on Tuesday, I was hospitalized in that same week, Saturday! What time am I using from my employer? I am in a precarious position in terms of my health, how stable or should I say unpredictable is it? My daughter's health, what if or when she gets sick requiring a hospitalization again. I enjoyed what I did, but I don't think, no I know I'm not able to deal with the high demand stress that job had to offer. The times that I was out of work, sometimes, I enjoyed being out of work home with my children, taking them to school and picking them up, taking care of errands during the day, seeing other stay at home moms and not thinking that I was one of them. This time, I want to work, but I know I don't have the stamina for a full time job, at least not at this point in my life. I am not fearful about getting sick again, it's just that my life and my kids' lives are more important. This is not fanciful thinking. I know that too much is at stake. If I kicked the bucket, I would be replaced at work, it's just a cubicle that belongs to the company.
What does any of this have to do with natural hair care, you may ask?... I'm sure I'm not the only natural lady in this situation. It's something everyone can relate to.
Peace.