For five years of my life, I lived under the constant pressure and literal burns of chemical hair relaxers. I mistakenly believed it was the only way to be "accepted" and deemed "beautiful" according to Western ideals of beauty. However, when I decided to embrace my natural roots (pun totally intended), I saw them flourish before my unbelieving eyes, and knew I had made the right decision. Such a drastic transition was not easy but I embarked on this journey of self-rediscovery because...
1. I Could not ignore God's blessings anymore.
His blessing in this case, being my hair. If God gave me this hair, who am I to think it's ugly, useless or too burdensome? Our African heritage is a blessing I have learned to re-appreciate— every day.
2. I had to be true to myself and true to God.
As I grew up, I realized I did not want to be the woman I always thought I wanted to be: a 'Western-like' woman with "long and silky" hair. Or more precisely, a woman the West had pressured me into thinking was the only ideal
. Yes, white women with long flowing hair are beautiful, but they are not the ideal of beauty. We are all beautiful women made in God's image. It took a lot of maturity and mental realignment with God's truth for me to realize just how much I love my natural hair. Today, I would not trade it for the world. This is the woman I was always meant to be: an African Queen. God's work of art, wonderfully shaped in His image, from my toes to the crown of my head. My natural hair is not my bane but my blessing.3. To inspire my little sister.
After being initially inspired by our older sister, I could no longer resist the pull of having natural hair. I don't want my little sister making the mistakes we did. I want her to know it's okay to love and accept her natural hair. She doesn't need to burn it with relaxers before she knows she is beautiful, breathtaking and blessed! Our young sisters and brothers of African heritage must know that their hair is beautiful just the way it is and does not need "taming".
4. I can do anything with my hair!
Literally. It's almost overwhelming how much iIcan do with my hair! This world of endless possibilities is so exciting, and it's one I can't wait to discover even more.
5. I needed fresh, new hair
And I was not disappointed. I've been a natural for almost two years now, and my hair has grown leaps and bounds— way past my expectations. It's an amazing feeling to look back at who I was a year ago and know that's not what I look like, and it is definitely not who I am anymore. We all need to know we're not stagnant but growing, moving forwards, and changing for the better. Personally, this is one tangible way I can testify to my growth and maturity. I have become a woman who accepts who she is.
6. Relaxers killed my hair.
Yep. Those chemical products totally destroyed my hair. I was warned by many, but back when I was 12 years old, the only thing that mattered was having "long" hair I could swing over my shoulders; even though I knew it was not in my DNA. In the midst of 5 years, my hair died and stopped growing. It was a horror mess to behold— stringy locks and all.
So no matter where you are in your hair journey, I want you to remember it is worth it! Embrace your hair, love your hair, take care of your hair, and watch how it will bloom before your wide open eyes. All hair is beautiful. Do not seek to tame what was meant to be wildly exquisite!
