Countdown to 30: Day 21 Naturally Me

Hey gang! Next month I will be celebrating not only my birthday but also my 3rd year since my big chop. Many have asked about my natural hair journey so here's my story. I remember when I made the choice to go back to my natural hair. I had been natural from birth till freshman year of college. I got grown and decided that I needed a relaxer. The truth of the matter is that I didn't know how to do my hair without a hot comb and Lord knows I wasn't about that life. I remember my first taste of the creamy crack. Oh it was delicious. Although my hair never really "relaxed" my baby hairs never laid so smooth. Doing my hair was a breeze then but it was short lived. The brand of my first relaxer started not working so well after about a year. I only got a relaxer every 3 to 6 months. I constantly found myself switching relaxers. Fast forward to January 2010. I was doing my hair and noticed that it was thinning. I looked on the floor and half of my hair was on the floor! Ok maybe not half but it was a lot to be alarmed about. So the chemist in me went and grabbed my relaxer bottle and looked at the ingredients. *wall slides* I couldn't believe I was putting that mess in my hair. Straight hair wasn't worth the chemical burns I was obtaining each relaxing. It was at that moment I chose to go back to natural. So to cut it all off or to transition...that is the question! So I began to look up hair charities that I could donate my hair. It had to be at least 12 in in length to donate. So that was the deciding factor. If my hair was long enough I was going to chop it off and donate it. Well the verdict was....

Yep, I cut it all off and donated it. I had so many supporters but I had backlash as well. Why some folks just don't want you to be great! The "how you cut all that pretty hair" and the "nooooooooooo" and my favorite "you were your hair" as if my hair had all of my personality, beauty,  and greatness in it. Sigh. Enneweighs...lol So here I am with this:

At that time, this was a very difficult stage for me. The self consciences issues began to arise. I didn't know what to do with my hair. But then I began to hear the words of my father and grandfather. "You are beautiful! You don't need makeup or a relaxer to be beautiful! You are beautiful just the way you are! God didn't make any mistakes when he made you!" * quadruple blush* I love the men folk in my family. They always make us women folk feel special. Looking back, I wish I had embraced my short hair more and not wear those headbands all the time. I really miss my TWA (teenie weenie afro). Sometimes I contemplate cutting it off again just so I can embrace my TWA but I fear for my life I do such lol. Cutting my hair was the most liberating thing I've ever done in my life. It freed me on so many different levels. Then anger set in because if I'd known it was so easy to care for natural hair, I wouldn't have gotten a relaxer in the first place! *waves fist* And also to be free from that wretched hot comb....whooo chile! Thank you Jesus! *does praise dance*

Another thing about me is that I DESPISE make up and I blame my dad for that lol. That speech I typed earlier is the speech that my dad gave me on an almost daily basis. Or he'll slide his "you're too beautiful for makeup" comment in and of course I believed him. He's my dad...he be knowing lol. So I've gone through almost 30 years of life with no clue of what foundation or a bronzer is and how to use it. I've worn makeup once in my life and that was a year ago for my best friend's wedding. And I was fighting her on that lol. But it came out nice..see:

But I felt like the witch on the wizard of Oz..."I'm melting...melting" lol. I felt so uncomfortable. But I made it through. But I learned a lesson that day. There's nothing wrong with enhancers as long as you don't go overboard and you are comfortable with who YOU are and comfortable in your own skin. To me being natural is not about not relaxing your hair or using the best juices and berries that nature has to offer. It's about being true to yourself. Being the person that God called you to be. Outward appearances fade but inner beauty....shines forever. I've seen some take the "natural hair revolution" to levels of just foolery. To me that means you are not comfortable with who you are and are just following the trend. Just be you. If the creamy crack is for you....do it! If you like to be unbeweavable....girl pat that weave. Just be yourself. I'm just me and can be no one else but me. I love being me and I love me! I love being natural....I'm...Naturally Me!

My take home message for the day....

Be you! That's it! You are fearfully and wonderfully made. God made you in His image so embrace your beauty. Don't allow others to dictate what beauty means for you. My natural may not be your natural but be Naturally YOU! Love you! Embrace you! And again BE YOU! 

Until tomorrow....Enjoy being natural! *adjusts curly puff*

Doc J

*Hear are a few other pics from my journey*