Making Magic.... Turning Straw into Silk
By Gloria Faye Brown Bates/aka Granny Gee

I sat, talked with the lady.  Felicia was her name... I found this out later, as I spent time with her.

I quietly told her my story, my experience.  I asked her for a miracle, hoping she might be the one.  The last time I asked for one, a disaster happened, devastating me.

Later, I watched as her hands moved quickly, doing things I could tell she was very used to doing.  She was performing magic... I prayed for my miracle... at times, I held my breath.  Is it possible...

I could smell the scents of the different magic potions she used.  Oh, they smell as if magic could happen!  I loved the soft fragrances that tickled my nose...

In the meantime, I talked with her and Brandon, the young gentleman who was close by, busy with his own client.  I would try to peep, see what the lady was doing... hoping, praying something special would happen....

This miracle meant the world to me as I've been living with such sadness inside for the past almost 3 years.

On March 5, last month I went at last to begin making my hair look nice again... so, I could begin being 'myself' again.  That was the day... my hair was turned to... straw.  A 'bad spell' was placed on it... my curly hair became straight... dry... I couldn't bear to look at it in the mirror.

I have been a 'strawhead' for one month and a half now.  I've been using Moroccan Oil, and Nexxus products on my hair.... thank-God for such wonderful products... they've helped me to come this far.  I was devastated when my hair was ... ruint.

Finally... I had grown it out long enough to have the curly perm I wanted, so... I could fluff it out to my heart's content, and enjoy my 'big' hair again.  My hair 'finally' reached the first scar of the major surgery I had when I was diagnosed with non-Hodgkins lymphoma.

I went with happiness in my heart to get that perm, knowing it was going to be 'beautiful'...  my hair was finally as long as it was when I lost it the first time due to the chemotherapy treatments.

It has been my goal... it's been hard to grow it out this long again... not because it wouldn't grow... but, every hairdresser would cut 'it all off'... no matter how many times I would stress 'not to'.

The past several years I finally began to be very firm about cutting my hair... guess what?  My hair began to get long fast...

You know what happened next... my hair was changed to 'straw'.  You wouldn't believe the grief I have suffered over my hair... along with the grief I carry in my heart for Tommy.

Getting back to ...today.  I went to a place where magic could be created in a moment... I'd passed by it many times looking in, seeing the miracles that happened there.  I saw lots of smiling faces, and... beautiful hair.  I want my hair to be 'beautiful'... again!

This is where I met the two nicest people... Felicia, and Brandon.  I was impressed with them when talking to them... because when I sat quietly, asked my questions (I already knew the answers)... they would answer me honestly.  I needed that...

For instance, one of the questions I asked was... 'isn't my hair too light'.  I asked them, and in the nicest way possible... they answered my question, said 'yes'.  Skip and I both knew it was 'too' light... making it 'hard to see my face'.

I appreciated so much someone telling me ... this was a good thing.  I, then... talked about having two colors on my hair.... more my own natural color with softer blonde.

I asked Felicia to help me decide on the 'right' colors for my hair.  I told her I realized I had become older... but, I still liked my hair to be big, fluffy, beautiful.  I, also, told her that for the past years I haven't cared... everything stopped when my son died.

Her hands began to work their magic, mixing this potion... that potion.  The next thing I knew ... I was looking in the mirror as she worked her spell... my hair was separated into strands, placed in foil.  She put the magic potion on my hair... as she did, I said a prayer.  I prayed that she could fix my hair to be beautiful... somehow.

As she went through the ritual of making my straw hair become more like hair... I felt hope as I looked into the mirror!  I even felt happiness when I saw my hair as she worked.  Then... I wouldn't look ... I didn't want to break the spell!

Soon, Felicia was finished after she deep-conditioned my hair.  Oh, when I looked into the mirror, I was elated!

Felicia had worked a miracle.... she turned straw into silk!


Note:

I thank you from my heart, Felicia.  Skip loves my hair... not only that... I 'pure love' it!
It means the world to me.  I called you this evening to find out that you had made a 'customer card' with all the necessary information on it... including the perfect colors you chose for me... I wanted to make sure you remembered them... because I will be coming back to you.

Thank you, Felicia.  I am excited to wake up in the morning to look at my hair in the mirror... you can't imagine how long it's been!

Brandon, I enjoyed talking to you, too.  I liked you very much... I watched you do magic on your client... and saw her smiling face when you were through.  Both you, and Felicia made a big difference in my life today when I met you... a person's hair means 'everything'.

Oh... I don't want to forget the lady who had the pink hair, I think she said it was called 'camo'.  You are very nice, too.  You reminded me of my friend in Australia... she has pink in her hair, too!  Not only that, she used to have leopard paws in it!  You have a wonderful personality, too.

Today has been a good day... you all touched my life in a good way... sometimes, we need that.