As I arrived for my hair appointment, I was told that my hairdresser was running a bit late. She is a young mother of three little children, and I smiled with a prayer in mind for her as who knows what might have caused her delay. Maybe all three just needed a few more Mama hugs!
As I waited, I watched another hairdresser cutting the hair of a young man. His appearance was intriguing as he was covered with tattoos with one rather prominent one on his neck. The haircut he was getting was mostly a shaved look but with a patch of longer hair left in the middle of his head. He was eating something like bite-sized granola bars as she cut his hair, and I found that also interesting as I’ve never thought about eating as someone cut my hair. I mean, who wants hair in your food?
The woman cutting his hair was so at ease in her work, and what really pulled me in was how at ease she was with this man. She held the loveliest smile on her face the entire time she was working on his hair. She was intent on cutting his hair to his exact wishes and carefully utilized both scissors and clippers. After she got his hair just so, coming back two or three times to catch that stray hair, she got out her short handled shaving brush, tossed a bit of powder in it, and went over his head with this soft powder. It was as if she were caressing a canvas with loving strokes. Such gentleness and such comfort were present in this action.
Then she began to shave his face and neck. His trust was so apparent. They moved together as if they had shared this experience many times before… he titling his head just so… she moving the razor up or down to the angle of his neck. She left his beard close, I suppose just as he liked it. She then took that powder brush, and again stroked his face and neck almost as a blessing to soothe what may not be apparent. Next she asked if he might like some after shave. He did, of course. Her hands folded together with the after shave inside, and then she lovingly applied it to his face and neck. I thought that must be the final touch, but there was more. She asked if he might like some kind of product in his hair, and again he was eager to accept. She poured this also into her hands, and then with such grace, she rubbed his head and hair. She was still smiling even as his eyes were closed. There was a sacredness present, a true release in the comfort of human touch.
And finally, she held up a small blue bottle and asked again if he might like some of that applied to his head. And once again, he easily agreed. It seemed to be some sort of oil or ointment, and with such care she stroked it onto his head, and onto specific places that seemed small wounds I had not noticed until that moment.
Just a bit more powder, and then she invited him to look in the mirror and see what he thought. It seemed he felt it was a job well done. And then before I knew it, he was gone. She began to clean up her area, and my hairdresser arrived and invited me to sit in the chair beside this lady’s station. I felt compelled to speak to her. I told her that her hands were truly beautiful, and that I was moved by how gently and compassionately she worked with that man. She said that he lived his life with much anxiety, and that she liked to help relieve him of such for the time he was with her. She said that sores on this head were there because of his struggles. And then she picked up the blue bottle, and she said that she told him there that was something about the oil inside it that helped to soothe worries… that it helped people with their struggles. And she massaged that message along with the oil into his head. She then looked at me and said, “It’s just hair oil, but he believes it is something more… so maybe it is.”
“Love is but a song to sing
Fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment's sunlight
Fading in the grass
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It's there at your command
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now.”
As I waited, I watched another hairdresser cutting the hair of a young man. His appearance was intriguing as he was covered with tattoos with one rather prominent one on his neck. The haircut he was getting was mostly a shaved look but with a patch of longer hair left in the middle of his head. He was eating something like bite-sized granola bars as she cut his hair, and I found that also interesting as I’ve never thought about eating as someone cut my hair. I mean, who wants hair in your food?
The woman cutting his hair was so at ease in her work, and what really pulled me in was how at ease she was with this man. She held the loveliest smile on her face the entire time she was working on his hair. She was intent on cutting his hair to his exact wishes and carefully utilized both scissors and clippers. After she got his hair just so, coming back two or three times to catch that stray hair, she got out her short handled shaving brush, tossed a bit of powder in it, and went over his head with this soft powder. It was as if she were caressing a canvas with loving strokes. Such gentleness and such comfort were present in this action.
Then she began to shave his face and neck. His trust was so apparent. They moved together as if they had shared this experience many times before… he titling his head just so… she moving the razor up or down to the angle of his neck. She left his beard close, I suppose just as he liked it. She then took that powder brush, and again stroked his face and neck almost as a blessing to soothe what may not be apparent. Next she asked if he might like some after shave. He did, of course. Her hands folded together with the after shave inside, and then she lovingly applied it to his face and neck. I thought that must be the final touch, but there was more. She asked if he might like some kind of product in his hair, and again he was eager to accept. She poured this also into her hands, and then with such grace, she rubbed his head and hair. She was still smiling even as his eyes were closed. There was a sacredness present, a true release in the comfort of human touch.
And finally, she held up a small blue bottle and asked again if he might like some of that applied to his head. And once again, he easily agreed. It seemed to be some sort of oil or ointment, and with such care she stroked it onto his head, and onto specific places that seemed small wounds I had not noticed until that moment.
Just a bit more powder, and then she invited him to look in the mirror and see what he thought. It seemed he felt it was a job well done. And then before I knew it, he was gone. She began to clean up her area, and my hairdresser arrived and invited me to sit in the chair beside this lady’s station. I felt compelled to speak to her. I told her that her hands were truly beautiful, and that I was moved by how gently and compassionately she worked with that man. She said that he lived his life with much anxiety, and that she liked to help relieve him of such for the time he was with her. She said that sores on this head were there because of his struggles. And then she picked up the blue bottle, and she said that she told him there that was something about the oil inside it that helped to soothe worries… that it helped people with their struggles. And she massaged that message along with the oil into his head. She then looked at me and said, “It’s just hair oil, but he believes it is something more… so maybe it is.”
“Love is but a song to sing
Fear's the way we die
You can make the mountains ring
Or make the angels cry
Though the bird is on the wing
And you may not know why
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
Some may come and some may go
We shall surely pass
When the one that left us here
Returns for us at last
We are but a moment's sunlight
Fading in the grass
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now
If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It's there at your command
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now.”
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