An Unusual Place of Rest

I found an unusual place of rest. It's the chair in my hair stylist's studio. Often when women go to get their hair done, it is an opportunity to get lost in doing something to treat yourself and hopefully a break from childcare! :-)

I've been thinking about the people that have styled my hair over the years. I am thinking of the one that started it all, VW, who was my stylist for over 10 years. Man I miss her. She retired to stay home with her kids. We both got married about the same time, and had kids around the same time. I watched her go from a having a minimal faith in God to a thrist quenching relationship with Him that couldn't leave you with anything but a curiousity about what God was doing in her life. How cool it was for me to get to see her every 8 to 10 weeks and see this transformation in her life. It was really awesome.

Then there was the girl from Lativia that cut my hair in St. Louis. She was sweet and had so many stories to share and so many questions for me about why I would choose to marry a guy who wanted to be a minister. Why would I do that...When I could marry a successful man, one who makes money?!?

Then there was the girl who cut my hair just before we moved from St. Louis. Just 8 weeks postpartum from my second daughters birth. I found sanctuary from sleep deprivation, packing boxes to move and being overwhelmed as I sat in her chair. She didn't talk to me for 45 minutes. She was the quietest hairdresser I've ever met. Maybe we were both just glad to have a break from talking. After feeling guilty for not interacting more, I found that all her replies were no more than 3 words in length, UNTIL I asked her about cooking. Then she talked my ear off!

Now I've been shopping around for just the right person to cut my hair and let me sit in their chair and escape for a few months now. I've met a lady who nearly lost a child during pregnancy and spent over 4 months going back and forth from her busy hair salon to the NICU. I got to hear about how she never knew how much she could love someone until she had her little girl.

Now I've found a new friend and stylist. I sit in her chair, and she's good with me just hanging out in my own little world, taking a break from noise and the needs and demands of little people. But when I last saw her, she was on the eve of visiting her mother, who was about to die. She told me all about her Mom and fun family stories.

Isn't that amazing? How cool is it that these women would open up their lives to me? I think it is amazing. And I can thank them enough, for opening up their businesses and delighting in their work and most of all for letting me sit in their chairs and hear about their lives.

They made me feel welcomed.