Why I Became Natural

I have always loved my hair. I just didn't know what to do with it. As a young girl, I remember my mother washing my hair and pressing for the church. As I got older, she decided to relax my fine course hair. My hair shed so bad. I had an Afro for a while. It was quite becoming. There was a white girl in my class and she was amazed how it grew back and I could shake my hair. By the end of eighth grade, I wore a the infamous Jheri curl. We grew it out long enough to try the old relaxer again. This time it was a success, to the point of new return. But as I become custom to this creamy crack, my true identify was diminishing. I could never grow my hair past my shoulders. I knew it grew "slow" because of I was always able to hold of a touch-up for two months easy. So after I several years in college while student teaching I had to keep up with society and be "presentable". I never let my hair go past the due date for creamy crack renewal. Only after marrying a Muslim, did not know worry about my hair. I was completely covered and no one ever dared say anything to me directly about my hair, except for ignorant children who didn't know any better. During this time, I said, "What was the use of relaxing my hair when know one say it but my husband." BTW I AM DIVORCED AND BACK CHRISTIAN. That is another story for another time. Some after having my daughter, I discovered how wonderful natural hair was. Her hair was so curly that you would think she came from the salon. It was so beautiful, I thought I might as well keep growing this relaxer out and become natural. I don't ever want to put those chemicals back in my hair or put those chemicals in my daughter's either. So it wasn't a big epiphany, it was simply. . . I was tired of the creamy crack, the burns, and the money wasted. I haven't seen my natural hair since I was in fifth grade. Now it the most beautiful hair ever. No more fitting the mold. For now on I breaking the mold.