Learn How to Braid

Hay Daizee Loves! I wanted to share a story with you all.

***I remember one night I was making a sad attempt at braiding my hair. My mom was playing and acting like she couldn’t do it. I always get so frustrated when trying to braid because my hands will not get with the program. I was starting to have a complete come apart when my dad walked in.***

Dad: You better learn how to braid.

Me: No. It is okay. I just won’t have braids.

Dad: What about your daughters?

Me: What about them? What do these non-existent kids have to do with anything?

Dad: Not learning how to braid (or do any style for that matter) will not just affect how you look tomorrow. It will affect your little girls. What if they really wanted some braids and you couldn’t do them? You are not going to have my grandbabies looking crazy because you never took the time to learn how to style hair.

*** Now, if you are like me, you are probably thinking the same thing I was thinking when my dad was breaking this down for me. “If they want braids that bad… I will pay someone to do it.” I already knew he was not going to like that logic (He’s the most frugal baller you’ll ever meet). I jokingly told him that mom could braid their hair and she yelled FROM THE OTHER ROOM that she WOULD NOT (You are too busy to braid my hair but you can listen in on me and dad’s conversation?!?... gotta love her). This is when it got deeper.***

Me: Dad, I can pay someone to braid their hair if I haven’t learned by then.

Dad: Why would you pay someone to do something you can learn how to do if you set aside the time to learn how NOW. Do you know how much money we saved with your mom braiding and beading y ’all’s head every weekend?

***His point being that not only will it affect their heads… it will affect my pockets. Anything affecting my pockets directly affects them. All the money I would spend on getting their hair done would eventually add up. That money could be used towards something more beneficial or something they really needed or just saved in general to make bigger moves that would benefit everyone.

My dad then encouraged me to think about how many Friday nights and Saturday mornings I spent getting my hair braided and beaded. He told me to think about how much I bonded with my mom while she did my hair. As I thought about it, I truly understood what he was saying. If my mom didn’t braid my hair, it wouldn’t have been as easy for them to buy me a super cute outfit or new toy every weekend. If my mom didn’t braid my hair, that’s hours I could have been spending with a stylist each weekend… instead of with my mom talking and learning about life, while simultaneously being made all cute. 

Although at the beginning of this conversation my dad was annoying me, it was a memorable conversation for me. I am not even sure if he knows it. That is the day I learned that even though they were not here, they still had everything to do with everything.

 Every decision I make, big or small, will affect them.

I wanted to share this story because there is a reason I do everything that I do. I understand that a lot of people don’t understand where my ways of thinking come from. I realize that I am extremely fortunate to have parents who see the bigger picture and who took the time and still take the time to show me the bigger picture. I am even more fortunate that they understand that every move they make, not only affects me… but it affects their grandchildren because what affects me… affects them. See how that works?

I just wanted to give y ’all a little insight. Especially with this topic because I would love to do an entire blog series dedicated to how I feel and what I have been taught when it comes to preparing to be an awesome mom. #HayMyBabies

I hope you guys enjoyed and learned from this little story. There is more to come! Shout out to my amazing parents.

P.S. I still have not learned how to braid... but you can definitely add some beads to twists though. I checked! Lol

Love ALWAYS, Megan.