Journey Feature 01: Like Mother, Like Daughter

Every week I would like to feature a fellow naptural, whether seasoned or novice, to feature for inspiration purposes, and to honour them in their decision to live life on that natural. This week, it’s my oldest child and only daughter, Adah.

Adah is 18 years old, a senior classman at Bowsher High School, and a former member of the Bowsher Rebels track team. And much to my delight, Adah is also a fellow Journeyer who made her transition about the same time I did last year.

I began to relax Adah’s hair when she was maybe eight or nine, hoping to give it a bit more texture than what it had naturally (she had very fine, wispy hair that would not hold a style for more than a minute). I stopped when she was eleven because I did not like the damage it was doing to her hair. It was my mother who started Adah back on the perm track at age twelve, against my wishes, and it was Motions mild formula every four weeks for her for the next six years after that. We dealt with over processing, breakage and split ends galore, and there were many moments when I regretted starting her on the path of chemical straightening. But when you’re led to believe straight is the hallmark of follicular beauty, you swallow your pride and go with the flow of things.

I’m not altogether sure if Adah’s decision was out of support for my journey or whether she’d been considering it herself, but once she got going she held up like a trooper. In the beginning she experienced the same mental mind trips as I did when it came to making this decision — maybe more since she did so at a time in her life when peer pressure is at its strongest. During the rough phase where the hair is a patchwork of textures, Adah struggled hard with her choice, and even contemplated aloud about going back to relaxers. But with encouragement from me and her dad, as well as determination to see the process to the end, she stayed the course and i’m so glad she did! Look at how full and beautiful her hair is:

Like me she is 100% perm free, but she’s in need of a few end trims to even everything out as it grows. The process was pretty seamless for her as well, because she followed a regimen of keeping it well moisturized and as heat free as possible. Mostly she wear it in a ponytail with front bang wisps, but on regular occasion she takes it down and let’s it poof. *lol* As you can see, she has a lot more confidence than I started the process out with, which is a wonderful thing.

When asked how she feels about the whole process she stated, “I’m cool with it. If no one else likes it then that’s their problem. It’s my hair, not theirs.”

Very wise words, Adah. May we all maintain this frame of mind throughout our journeys.

Blessed Be…

Idadi