The art of pampering and relaxation goes beyond the physical. A total and complete sense of peace requires pampering the inside as much as it does the the outside. I asked a good friend, Candice Selby, to share a message with everyone about makign time for yourself in order for us all to work on maintaining our mental and emotional well being as much as we focus on our physical well being. Candice’s goal, like my own, is to encourage women to live life to it’s fullest potential and “nurture their bodies and minds by going back to the basics.”
I watch GMA just about every morning and I was quite surprised when I turned on the TV in the beginning of the year and noticed your hair “appeared” straight. I hoped to myself “I hope she’s just trying something new”. Two weeks into the year, I see that it’s not a trial hairstyle, Robin has gone back to the world of the relaxed. So a girl like me can’t help but wonder aloud… Robin, what made you decide to go back to a life of relaxed hair? Did you not enjoy the carefree life of the wash and go, allowing you to be instantly ready, straight out the shower? Wasn’t it nice to not have to run when a storm cloud threatened rain? Aren’t you going to miss the extra time you had to yourself now that you have to spend it in a salon every 3-4 weeks to keep such a short cut laying perfectly flat?
I know you are not your hair, none of us are. But I can say without a shadow of a doubt that so many ladies who wear their hair natural have been absolutely overjoyed to have a daytime, public figure who so openly wears her hair in its beautiful natural state, regardless of the circumstances.
My love for you hasn’t changed, Robin. I still find your battle and conquering of breast cancer to be inspiring and courageous. I still find your personality warm, funny, and endearing. I still love your style and image. I just miss being able to crack an extra smile when I turn on my tv and see a power black woman unconsciously making a statement to an audience of younger black women that you can be successful without having the image we’re “expected” to have.
*singing* “It’s Friday, its Friday, it’s the end of the week and the last day!” There’s more to the song and my Ryan Cameron fans can sing the rest for us LOL! Man, its good to see Friday again. It’s been an amazing week, I have to admit. If you look back through the archives this month you will see that I missed not one but two PYAF postings. I simply hadn’t done anything for myself, nor did I have anything projected to do for myself. This week however I’ve worked HARD and I’m playing HARD; hard enough to make up for the times this month that I didn’t do anything for myself
Last night I attended the first night of the women conference “Women at the Feet of Jesus” at my church First Metropolitan Church here in Houston. As a woman who was not raised in the church and has had the pleasure of learning because I want to and not because I was forced to as a child, this is my first religious conference and it has already turned out to be so much more than I anticipated it would be. I have to ask you all to please take a look into psalmist Dr. Karen D. Taylor and Rev. Dr. Jasmin Scurlark because these are women who will turn you upside down and then place you right side up with a fresh breath of air with the word they deliver. I’ll be attending the conference again on Saturday to wrap up the final day of my ‘Work hard, play hard’ PYAF moment.
Tomorrow night I’ll be unable to attend the conference because of a prior engagement. There’s a concert of a few of my favorite artists: Mos Def, Ledisi, Bilal, and Stokely of Mint Condition that I’d already purchased tickets for. I was so excited when I heard about this show that I bought the absolute best seats I could find because I am an avid music lover. They say music soothes the savage beast. Well after the monstrous schedule I’ve kept this week, I am in serious need of soothing. Talk about right on time!
So this will put me back in the black on picking my afro for the month. Are you current with your afro picking? Have you been putting off doing something for yourself? “Too busy”, “can’t afford it”, “but they need me” are phases that are not allowed. Doing something uplifting for yourself doesn’t have to cost your entire paycheck; it doesn’t have to cost a dime. Read your favorite book; spend some time outside enjoying the spring weather, pick up take yourself out for a cup of coffee, your favorite dessert. The options are endless. So…tell us how you’ve Picked Your Afro this week!
“Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experiences of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved.”
My love for you hasn’t changed, Robin. I still find your battle and conquering of breast cancer to be inspiring and courageous. I still find your personality warm, funny, and endearing. I still love your style and image. I just miss being able to crack an extra smile when I turn on my tv and see a power black woman unconsciously making a statement to an audience of younger black women that you can be successful without having the image we’re “expected” to have.
