We have all heard the saying, "Cutting off my dead ends," but have we ever stopped to think about how deep that sentence could go? A week ago, I went to the hair salon, in a COVID friendly way of course, and told the hair dresser to cut off whatever was unhealthy. I haven't had a proper hair cut in over a year, so cutting so much length from my locks was a big deal for me. I have always had a very odd connection to my hair because I always felt as though it wouldn't grow back. I would hold on to hair that would constantly split and die as it grew, and although I saw length from this, I didn't see much health. I would buy shampoo after shampoo and product after product to try and restore my hair, but nothing ever worked. I would consult with hair dressers, and they would all tell me that the only way to restore it was to cut it off and start over. I couldn't allow myself to do it because I was scared that all the hard work I had put into growing my hair would be ruined. However, I never realized that I was hurting my hair more by keeping it than letting it go. Perhaps this is what we do in our everyday lives. We hold on to memories, people, and places that we feel as though would restore their own health, but sadly, they don't. You can't keep reliving the memories of when you were sixteen and care free about the world because it will only hurt you when you realize that you're no longer a teenager without pain. The song you used to believe would guide you through life? Baby, it helped you through the hardest of breakups, but now you need to find a song that makes you fall in love. That book that's covered with tear stains, pencil marks, and a decreasing spine? It was a great read, but there is no more space to write your emotions anymore. I feel as though it is human nature for us to hold on to moments of the past because they were moments that we feel we will never feel again. You can hold a beautiful rose, but the tighter you hold on, the more the thorns puncture your hand. Our society has been so strict about holding these memories that we can no longer relive. Our world is progressing and changing, and we need to learn to do that as well. We can no longer sit within toxicity and pray for growth. Because maybe we will see some growth, but it will never be healthy. We can't keep believing that racism, hatred, bullying, body shaming, and pain will go away if we leave it there. Because, yes, it may be scary to go and try to make a big change, to cut everything you have ever know, but I promise you that you will never feel happier than when you do. You will feel that weight be lifted, and you will see all this new beautiful and healthy growth. It will make you realize that the hair you had been holding on to was dead, and there was no chance of saving it. However, you released all of that negativity. All eight inches of it and maybe more. You will see the world become a better place once you have cut all of these dead ends off, and I don't just mean your hair. So the next time you time you pull out the scissors, don't cut off what you want but what you need.
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