For a while I kept going back from this
to this.
After a while my friends joked about whether or not I was natural again. But kids have a way of making you question your actions.
"Why don't you have hair like mine?"
"You used to have hair like mine. What happened?"
However, when my beautiful daughter started to see fault in her own kinky hair and started desiring long flowing hair, I made a decision that would bring us on the same page.
I had these twists in my hair and it was time for it to be refreshed or taken out completely for a perm. Instead, I grabbed a scissors and cut each strand in the presence of my son and my daughter who watched on in awe. With each strand I felt a sense of liberation. I was tired of the act and the struggle to force my hair into submission and then get frustrated when it started to break. I ran my fingers through the one inch of new growth and relished in its tight curls.
I know my hair is not socially accepted in some circles but it's mine.
I love that in the midst of a society that defines beauty as hair flowing past your shoulders that I can stand as a model for my daughter as another definition of beauty.
How has parenthood forced you to rethink your personal decisions?
Christine
Oh, I love your story. Your baby will cherish that story when she's grown. I remember when I first wore my hair natural, this was back in the late sixties, I was inspired by Cicely Tyson. The attitude, especially among my fellow African Americans, was scorn and ridicule. But, we wore that hair proudly. It's a beautiful thing to see women embracing their hair today.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Aqueelah. It's amazing how children can alter our way of thinking.
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