Lessons I Learned From My Hair.

I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made

(Psalm 139:14)

My hair does not yield easily.

I wash it weekly

condition it with patience

coat it in leave-in treatment

and steam it under a shower cap each night

tied tight so it softens in its own time.

I have considered using heat

to make it lie flat and shine

but heat cannot hide its truth

it tempts for a while

then leaves strands breaking

no matter the oils or serums or careful touch.

I have braided it

I have dyed it

and learned that dyeing betrays

its authentic self

I whisper sorry to myself

sorry for trying to be someone else

I do not want to be that person.

Morning comes

and still it resists

softness earned in small portions

each strand a lesson in patience

Combing is careful negotiation

a dialogue between my fingers and its spirit.

Eventually it relents

soft enough to gather

to rise in buns sometimes three

sometimes five

even without braids

even without heat

even without color

it is enough.

Like my hair

I need gentleness

tenderness

space to stretch without strain

When pressed hard into tight shapes

I fracture.

I am a mirror of my hair

resilient, proud

beautiful in my own rhythm

happy in my own skin

requiring care

and understanding

to flourish.