Think back to your last haircut. What was the experience like? Was it a quick trip to the barber “just take a little off the top”, or was it a lengthy cut and style, marked by intermittent chit-chat and catching up? Whatever the mode or fashion, we’ve all found the need for hair stylists in our lives. (Unless, of course, you’re like my friend Pam who cuts her own hair.)
Last weekend I had my hair “done” (a.k.a. cut and highlighted) and let me tell you, to say I due for a haircut was an understatement. It had been 4 months since I sat in Hayley’s chair (!!!), and despite my guilt over letting so much time lag between haircuts, she just smiled and said, “It’s so great to see you again!” 
As we were chatting, she casually mentioned that her birthday was coming up and then we talked about our kids, our life events, and yes, even the weather. Just your normal visit to the hair salon, right?
After my hair had been trimmed and selectively painted in shades of auburn and honey blonde, I sat to the side with my head full of foil waiting for the colors to magically transform my hair. Hayley started chatting with a new client in her chair as I absent-mindedly thumbed through a magazine, watching the clock. Before too long, it was time to remove the foil and rinse out my freshly updated locks, but Hayley realized she would need some assistance as she was still working on the new client’s haircut. “I’m going to let Chelsea rinse you, if that’s OK,” to which I smiled and nodded my approval.
Now I have to stop my story right here, because if you are one of those barber shop patrons, what I am about to write will seem completely absurd. When you go to a barber shop, you are there for one thing only: Cut. My. Hair. The. End. However, when you visit a beauty salon… well, it’s no big secret that their job goes above and beyond JUST a haircut. Their mission is BEAUTY – inside and out!
So here I am, lying on something that looks like a very primitive Lazy-Boy with the back of my head hanging over the ledge of a sink, with my long hair all crumpled up in foil, feet up, a cross between a breathing corpse and a female Frankenstein (sorry, that’s about the best analogy I can think of to describe the scenario, lol.) I close my eyes and grit my teeth, because I just know at some point in the process of pulling out all that foil, my hair is going to be yanked. And then… without warning, I heard the sound of running water and the crisp crackle of foil being thrown in the trash. Wait. She’s already DONE? No yanking or pulling? No grasping or cringing? REALLY? What a delightful surprise!
As Chelsea rinsed the chemicals from my hair and applied shampoo, I started to relax, not even realizing how tense my shoulders were with anticipation of the foil removal. I felt Chelsea’s fingers massaging the back of my head and allowed myself to simply lose myself in the moment of the BEST. HEAD. MASSAGE. EVER.
By the time she was done, I felt like I had lost 10 pounds and found the prettiest prom dress in town. I felt amazing! I returned to Hayley’s chair where she dried and straighten my long hair, then turned me around to see the final result. As always, I was estatic – how is it possible for a woman to transform from an ugly duckling to a beautiful princess with just one cut and color? OK, OK, so maybe I wasn’t quite “princess” material, but I sure did feel pretty in the moment – all thanks to my hair stylist and shampoo girl!
So today I decided to give back with small surprises for the two gals who brightened my day. Remember me mentioning Hayley’s birthday? Well, today is the day! I went to Kroger and picked up a few cupcakes, then wrote her a card thanking her for being the best hair stylist ever. I also included a Starbuck’s gift card (one for each gal) as a simple “You are Special!” treat.
I dropped the items off at the front desk of the beauty salon and simply said, “Could you make sure Hayley and Chelsea get these?” I can imagine in my mind their delighted smiles to know their hard work was appreciated. 🙂
This weekend, think about the guy or gal who makes you look and feel great. Take a moment to give back and write them a note of appreciation or surprise them with a small treat. You might even think about surprising a hair stylist you don’t know – just for the purpose of saying “thanks for all you do.” It doesn’t take much to show appreciation, but the rewards multiply exponentially!
Be inspired and thanks for sharing in my adventures!
