"Let me see!” then a tentative what-do-I-say-right-now, “Oh…”
The halo of BIG afro hid an amazing haircut they had just paid for - and they were speechless. The visit to Heidi’s Hair Salon was a treat that two wonderful African American Aunties from church wanted me to have as I started my high school years.
You see, when I left the salon, their trusted stylist had given me a great cut and blow-out + curl, and I walked out looking Janet Jackson-ish - I looked good. But then I had to wash it, and the best I knew to do was to put curl activator in it - which did nothing.
So… I patted it into as much of a ‘do as I could muster and walked out with my head held high - even as I knew it was thoroughly uncool. Nervously I looked at my Aunties who, after a moment, hugged me and said I looked sweet. And I exhaled.
A few months later I went back and added a Jheri Curl (remember those?!) to the cut - and the curl activator worked this time. But I will never forget the gentleness and kindness they showed me in a moment of utter uncoolness - which made them exceptionally cool.
We all need those people in our lives: the ones who help hold us up when we are figuring it out in a particularly awkward way. But sometimes they can’t be right there in the moment we need them. So, we’ve created a set of Affirmation Cards that you can use in a pinch when you need a boost. Let me know how you use them!