 Gray is Beautiful  |
Have you ever noticed that your natural hair color is made up of an array of many hues? The next time you comb your hair, go to a sunny spot, brush your hair forward and notice the rainbow of its colors. The first time I did this was in the ‘60’s, when I was a flower child. The sun shining on my hair magnified the multitude of its colors - red, gold, and brown. I was in awe with the beauty I saw there.
Since that time, I still frequently brush my hair in the sun, and watch its kaleidoscopic of shades. In the last few years, a new color has joined the others. Slowly at first, this new color started presenting itself, but more and more recently, it seems to be gaining in popularity. When it first showed up, I was a little startled. “Should I pluck them out or maybe cover them up with henna?” I thought. My interpretation of this color meant I was aging. “Maybe I could just put off this dreaded process a little longer,” my thoughts continued.
But I didn’t pluck or henna them. Instead I started noticing how attractive they are, weaving and blending with all the other colors of my hair - red, gold, brown and now gray. I stopped seeing this new shade as something bad, something to fear. I saw my gray hairs purely as they are, an additional lovely color to my hair.
Now when I brush my hair in the sun, I observe how beautifully my gray hairs are joining all of the other colors, giving them new character and elegance. I wonder about how many shades of gray my hair will eventually display. And instead of seeing my gray hairs as a sign of my deterioration, I choose to give them a different meaning. I can now embrace my gray hairs as a reflection of my own well-earned wisdom, to be welcomed with gratitude, admiration and grace. It’s your turn now. Go marvel at your life through the shades of your beautiful hair.