Memories...

Recently I changed salons, not an easy decision for me but I feel as though I have made the right one. Upon my departure from the old salon, I was embraced by an outpouring of care and true friendship.

I received a letter from someone who has been with me since beauty school, Holley. In the letter she expressed to me how much she would miss me and that it felt as though I were moving out of the state not just six miles down the road. In the letter she listed her favorite memories that we have shared over the years they follow:

-The "Jigsaw Incident" right before our first trip to LA. (I had black hair and decided I wanted to be platinum blond so I bleached my hair oh about 8 times in the course of a day. I received some chemical burns and an allergic reaction to the bleach. Steroids were prescribed, I looked like Jigsaw from the "Saw" movies. Not real attractive.)

-The fear that we wouldn't be cool enough for LA, but we dominated. (yes we did)

-The Institute of Courage - all that we learned, the haircutting in the hotel room with Rafe and Sarah, the plane ride with Quiet Riot, our date at PF Chang's, and our desperate need for crunch.

-The countless shared lunches at Cracker Barrel

-The emergency meetings at Starbucks

-Finding every MAC counter from Orlando to California ( she forgot that we know where every Sephora is as well)

-The long drive from Orlando.

-Our Sexy Hair auditions - the nervousness, J. Stacey, Jimmy, Rona, the panic, and we finished at the top of the class.

-Our first tribes of style and the woman from LA showing up.

-Halloween - all the many costumes, and parties, vampires, Little red Riding Hood, movie characters, and more

-Most of all, I'll remember the laughing, all the laughing - with reckless abandon.

-And perhaps COURAGE - we learned to find it, to use it and to keep it.

Those were her memories but the memory that stands out the most for me that she and I shared is one that I know she has forgotten. When my granny passed away as I have mentioned in a previous post I wanted to and did do her hair. Holley called me the morning that I was going to the funeral home, she said that she was trying to be a good friend and that if I needed her to she would go with me to the funeral home for the preparation for support. I told her that I would be fine and that I greatly appreciated her offer but it wasn't necessary.

On the first day this week at HALO Salon, I received a text from Holley. It read, "I am on vacation but remembered that your first day was today. I hope that it went well."

I hope that she realizes how much her friendship means to me...Holley.