What's so special about February 12th ?

Dear February 12th,

To the Natural Journey. The days are gradually approaching the significant remembrance of my big chop. In this moment I find myself again reflecting. I had to break down what it truly meant when i began my journey to being natural. It was my evolution to become more you see.

Notably during high school began my first steps. I was blind to the true undertaking in those days. The hype or we can say "well-known" transitioning stage happened in my junior and senior year. Around this time I was wearing clip-ins or weave. I was one of those girls that couldn't bare to be simple. You know that girl always living by the "dare to be different" cliche. So my difference in clothes was excused because I had nice hair. I mean my clothes choice was a hot mess ya'll, thank god a dress code was enforced at this time. With me having nice hair I switched up my styles. If my hair was not straight, it was wavy, & if it wasn't wavy it was curled. But to no surprise I'd gotten tired of doing it to my own hair so I wanted to experiment on weaves.

My family wasn't having it though junior year. My Uncle's Girlfriend, Katrina (my family calls her tree tree or mama tree tree which she hates that we do) taught me womanhood through hair. She always hooked me up right before school each year. Elementary school i rocked my braids, middle school she straightened my hair or did pin curls. If I was not doing my hair she would. No one else. Well, My mom too, but she wasn't that much into hair. She knew the basics that kept my hair surviving at this point. I needed a perm ma dukes came through with the save. But in high school now when i finally decided to let go of perms and Katrina made sure I gained the skill set to present myself well. It started out with clip-ins from Indique Hair.

That didn't last too long because of the era which YouTube inspired me. Senior year. SO much was going on yet good came out of it looking back now. The use of How-to tutorials taught me to take care of weave and blending my natural hair so that together it looked like it were my own. The methods of flexi rods to get curls over the curling iron took effect. I later found myself using the organix line once i learned the dangers of sulfate to the hair shafts. I washed my hair and styled with their products. Over the course of the year I was back and forth with my different styles while wearing my clip ins, until I ordered my first weave. In this time my favorite hair styles were bantu knots, flexi rod curls, straight hair, braid outs. Thank god for YouTube's Morgan Taylor. That was my girl when I first started transitioning. One thing that truly stuck and and still does is the fact that my guy friends, Nahjeem and Matthew were telling me consistently "stop wearing weaves and makeup you look better natural". STAY NATURAL. I'm going to let that sit because God works in mysterious ways. He was here dropping little hints. Let it be known that the "natural" world did not come into existence for me AT ALL until much later.

It was maybe July/August I stumbled across the Natural video uploads by known YouTubers Naptural85, Natural Niiecy and Shawntas Way. Their hair was goals nonetheless the ideas of going natural was now put in my mind. Going into Freshmen year my roommate was natural and one of my first friends at school was natural as well. They both had influenced me to some extent to join the movement.

At this stage in my life I had to take care of my hair without the help of my mom or Tree Tree. I had my weave in when i first entered and after wore my straight hair out. Later around Thanksgiving I was in Boston with my homegirl, Tayla where i dyed my hair purple. After winter break of 2015 I returned back to school. My hair now had grown out where you see the mark of curly to permed ends.

By being natural, I slowly progressed to strip myself from judgment and grew confidently.

By being natural I have embraced a new self of self-esteem and beauty.

By being natural, I have opened my self to new concepts and knowledge.

I mean i cannot only say that cutting off my hair made me do these things. However within these past few years I have allowed myself to grow. In ways so differently, ways i could not see.

Evolving my self worth and giving myself time to breathe. Plan Out my dreams. Live beyond my means and self-limitations.

Being natural created Be true stay you. And on year two I'm setting a date for every little dream and turning it into an accomplishment. Because being natural cultivated a new me.