Today during my day of rest, I enjoyed something that I haven’t experienced since my childhood. Pulled out into the garden, and into the bright, warm afternoon, I carried with me a cold iced tea…and a comb.
When I was a little girl, my sisters and I would sit outside and let our long hair, wet from a wash and a rinse, dry in the sunshine. In those lazy days of summer I didn’t dry my hair with a blow-dryer or use a lot of hair products. I combed my hair out and off I went. I had more important things to do.
Now a days, shampooing and conditioning is just the beginning of a daily hair routine that includes a leave in conditioner to protect from the heat of the blow-dryer, straightening to smooth and an anti-frizz gel to finish off.
After toweling away the excess moisture, I loved sitting on the brickio, the hot sun beating down, and combing through my hair. It’s still long. I’ve always had long hair, except for a year with a pixie haircut at age eight. The color has just changed over the years.
Surrounded by the beauty of the garden, slowly combing through my hair became a meditative experience and an act of self care. A breeze stirred through the plants and flowers and lifted my hair, speeding the drying process. The aroma of mint and basil teased my nose.
I fanned my detangled hair out across the back of the chair and closed my eyes with a deep sigh of contentment. I enjoyed the freedom from the dryer and straightener, the simplicity of sitting in the sun. And in a few minutes my hair was dry, giving me just enough time to search for memories tucked away from my childhood and feel nostalgic.
