“I have never had a bad hair day,” she said proudly while tapping her hair with both hands.
She then reported, “I wash my hair at night and I comb it in the morning.”
Finishing her statement, she said, “My hair is always perfect.”
This wonderful pearl was picked this week for its soothing elements of self-care.
The speaker was developmentally delayed and as it turns out completely happy with every hair on her head.
What a fantastic reality to live in.
As I scratched the surface of her fantastic reality I realized how much kindness she pays herself by not fretting over her hair every day. Adopting that attitude, I would be able to start my morning with peace and joy rather than allowing the state of my hair set the pace for my day.
Digging deeper, I realized how pitifully consumer-driven I was. I have numerous lotions and potions and rubs and scrubs. I have lathers, soaks, and oils and still, I’m the one having the bad hair days.
So, are bad days merely a state of mind?
There are many who would adamantly insist they have encountered some really bad hair days. And some would even point to photographic evidence.
But what exactly constitutes a bad hair day? And why is there even such a thing?
That got me wondering: What would happen if I just decided to jump out of my bed, run the comb through my head, and go? Nothing, I suspect. Absolutely nothing at all!
The state of my hair changes nothing except perhaps how I feel about myself.
And therein lies the pearl.
When we spend time with developmentally delayed people we can glean interesting insights; if we just—listen.
In this case, it reminded me of a simpler time when my transition from sleep to wake was not punctuated with blowing loud, hot air onto my head first thing out of my bed. And when viewed from this perspective made it a rather silly practice to have gotten myself tangled up with in the first place.
It would appear simple freedoms, like how to have a stress-free morning, are easily attainable to those who care less about how life looks and more about how it is lived.
And all I had to do was show up and listen for the pearls to drop.
The forth point of our Mission Statement is to foster inclusion into the greater community. Stop by regularly and help us spread the message of inclusion.
I remember you were only a little girl when you told me about your calling to the developmentally delayed. Congratulations for perusing your dreams.
PS: And you are still a good writer too!
XO Aunt Pat
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this!!!! What a remarkable window to look out of each morning… the window facing happiness and joy in life…. the window that radiates it’s self-love unto yourself. I must learn to draw the blinds on the other windows.. those that face self doubt, self consciousness, recriminations and self-berating. I like that other window so much better! <3