It’s funny how life works. Friday, I went to a simple hair appointment. I didn’t realize at the time, when I walked through the salon doorway, that I would later walk out of the same doorway feeling a sense of renewal and connection with the world. I felt renewed, not only because of a haircut and fresh hair-color, but because of the person who did my hair.
Why was that simple hair appointment so important? Well…I have been feeling really down lately due to the constant, unrelenting pain of early onset arthritis and an old shoulder injury that possibly needs repaired. And of all times my allergies are at an all time high. Sleep seems to elude me. Physical movement seems to be whittling away as if my joints were weathered and worn driftwood being slowly reshaped into some foreign, static shape and feelings of being trapped are settling in. I can no longer pick up my beautiful granddaughter which pains me even more. One of the cruelties of arthritis is that no one can see what is going on within. On the outside I look healthy. I know that I am not trapped. I know that I am just simply experiencing the aches and pains of getting older, but it has affected me. It seems that I have lost my creative edge and consequently I have found myself writing less, reading less and interacting with people less…and then I had that hair appointment. I walked through that doorway…
You may be wondering why I am focusing on doorways. After I left my hair appointment, feeling once again optimistic and energized, I started thinking about the seemingly infinite doorways we walk through on a daily basis as we journey through life. And as we walk in and out of doorways we move forward with some new experience. Some experiences of course impact us more than others, but we experience something whether it is positive or negative. Oftentimes we take with us new friendships and new connections. And some of those connections grow then fade, some never begin and some flourish. I think of connecting as simple as a glance, a smile or a head-nod as we pass by people in our daily lives at work, school, the doctors office, the vet…you name it…we are connecting somehow, someway. Even a snide comment or look is connecting. I try my best to always connect with people in a positive manner. You might ask, “Why?” I think it is because I want to feel that I matter so how can I receive that? I can know I matter by being genuine with others and in someway letting them know they matter too. That is what happened as I walked through the doorway into the hair salon. Actually, I realized that I not only open doors or walk through doorways on my journey through life…I open my heart. My heart is yet another doorway…
Back to the salon…after years of avoiding hair salons for fear of a bad haircut I decided last year to take a risk and revisit a salon. You see, it is difficult to find someone who knows how to cut curly hair. I have had one too many bad haircuts. But last year, wanting a new look, I stepped out of my comfort zone and went for it. I am so glad I did! I met an amazing person. For confidentiality purposes I am not disclosing her name, but I do want to share with you how she has impacted my life. It really boils down to the fact that she cares. She is genuine. She is a really cool person and very giving. And she is a lot of fun! If she finds herself reading this someday she will probably wonder what I am talking about because she is like that. I don’t think she realizes the positive impact that she has on peoples lives. I hope after reading this she will!
So a year ago at a hair salon a connection was sparked and grew. I returned for follow up appointments and then somehow months quickly passed. Before I knew it I hadn’t visited the salon in quite awhile. My dear husband Bill and daughter Kim lovingly surprised me by scheduling an appointment for me. So on Friday, March 30th, 2012 at 1:00PM I walked through a doorway to a fresh, new look and a fresh outlook on life. I reconnected and grew a budding friendship a little more and left with new connections! You see, this wonderful person I am talking about invited my daughter Kim to a hair show, since she knows Kim is seriously considering finishing beauty school, and she put in a good word for Kim with her supervisor. Kim has new connections now too! In addition to once again feeling connected to life, I felt better. I didn’t feel as much physical pain. I felt lighter and optimistic. And I just simply walked through a doorway…today I am walking through several more doorways…I wonder what new experiences and connections await me as I continue to walk, with an open mind and an open heart, through the cascading doorways of life?
Growing stronger…