Life is about trusting our feelings and taking chances, loosing and finding happiness, appreciating the memories and learning from the past.
Going to school 5 days a week for 7 1/2 hours with the same people doing the same thing can get a little monotonous. Some days you dread hearing your name get called to take a client. Yesterday was one of those days. I checked my books that morning and found out I had a cut and a color coming in at 1pm...it was 9am. I had to sit around for 4 hours waiting and waiting, secretly hoping Wendy didn't show up. Well, she showed up, 10 minutes late. Wendy sat in my chair and we talked about what we wanted to do. She's pretty low maintenance so she just wanted something easy. Well, easy for her. She used to have long hair but her 17 year old son cut it off, so, guess who got to fix a bad haircut? Me. Then, her hair was gray. Not just a little gray, straight up salt and pepper, so guess who had to figure out how to cover all that gray up? Me. I had a feeling it was a going to be a long day with Wendy.
The day seemed to be dragging on as I'm applying color in 1/4 inch sections on her entire head. We started to talk and she started opening up. This lady who I was so frustrated with had the most tender heart. She has been a single mom her whole life to 4 children. She always puts others before herself. She had all this gray hair because she has had such a stressful life and taking care of everyone else that she leaves no time for her. She works from home so she hasn't ever had to see people or take care of herself. As a result she ended up letting herself go, gaining about 150 pounds. After talking to one of my instructors, with a similar lifestyle, Wendy broke down and started crying. I once heard that crying is a sign of strength. Wendy is definitely a strong and independent woman. She walked out of the salon with a smile looking beautiful.
After Wendy left I was speechless. It made me realize how much I love my job and how easy it is to change someones life by simply talking to them and giving them a new hairstyle. I truly believe that this was a start of a new life for Wendy. She has always been a low maintenance tom boy but committed to coming in every 4-6 weeks to get her color retouched. Seeing her on the street I never would have guessed what she's been through. Im so glad that I was able to spend a few hours with this amazing woman and really get to know her.I love people and I love what I do. Every story has an end. But in life, every end is a new beginning.
"Only a life lived for others if worth living"
-Albert Einstein
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