Finger waves have always been one of my favorite short hairstyles to rock. Unfortunately, because I swore off relaxers years ago, I thought that I couldn't wear them, as I had been told repeatedly that you cannot finger wave natural hair. The fact I didn't have any hair on my head was another problem. After looking at a variety of videos on how to care for my hair, and utilizing a combination of techniques, I have made a startling discovery. When not robbed of its moisture, properly conditioned, and covered at night, my hair does a fair finger wave on its own. What a wonderful surprise! I also learned that the pick I use during the winter months when I have hair mutilates my scalp. Not such a wonderful surprise.

I ran the pick through my 1/2 inch twice. Moments later, the burning began. Then the throbbing. The aching. I had to take Ibuprofen for a week so that I could sleep at night, and I still have a few sores on my head to remind me why I will never use my hot pink Goody comb on another head. I was surprised at the amount of damage that was done, and again flew to YouTube to try to figure out a substitute for what I thought was a "staple" of black hair care accessories. Unbeknownst to me, a Jilbere comb is.

How could I not have known? I had used the pick many times before when I had hair, and yet I was totally surprised at the damage it caused. I then realized that in the last 5 years, my hair had not reached a pickable length very often, and my hair wasn't a part of me I was used to caring for. I probably just didn't pay attention. I also didn't know how soft my hair could be, or that Josiah's hair could every stay moisturized for that matter, until I made my own leave-in hair product using techniques and items I discovered from various YouTube natural hair divas.

In the few weeks since I decided to grow hair, I have found that I accept more and more of how I am naturally each day, rather than being focused on what I would like to change. My eyebrows, various scars, stretch marks, my short waist, long thighs, (yes, I have always thought my thighs were too long in relation to my lower legs), gray hair, whatever. They are all a piece of the beautiful puzzle that creates my body. Mine.