"I wish I had hair like yours, it's so pretty."

Me: "No you don't!"

This was always my answer to anyone who thought they wanted hair like mine.

Not because it isn't pretty but because it really is difficult to handle. I still remember all the times my mom would brush my hair and I would cry because it hurt so badly. I never really liked my hair. The first time I got my hair straightened was in the fifth grade. My mom let me decide how much I wanted to get cut and I chose to get it cut to my shoulders because of how much work my mother had to put into my hair.

After I got it straightened the first time, I never wanted my hair to be curly again.

I straightened my hair almost weekly so that I didn't have to deal with my curly hair, it was always such a hassle. I never really know how to take care of my hair. I would wash it almost daily or at least wet it. I even resorted to getting a perm in my hair my eighth-grade year so that my hair would already be straight. I never got one again. I started to miss my curly hair because my hair looked so damaged.

I cut it regularly, about every six weeks to speed up the process of my hair growing back. It was until I got to college that I really wanted to make changes in my hair. I went as far as getting highlights in my hair and cutting into a short bob.

Now after all these years of learning about my hair, it still gets frustrating when my hair doesn't behave as I want it to. Which brings me to why I cut all my hair off! Yes, it was a very impulsive decision that I wasn't sure I wanted to do but it has taught me to be grateful for the hair I was blessed with and I'm now deciding to grow my hair out.

Curly hair isn't easy, but it is what I was blessed with and I need to learn to take better care of this blessing. I love my hair!