On My Journey

Yep, that's me...literally and figuratively. You can call me OMJ, Journey, whichever you like.
Hello everyone and welcome to my little piece of the world.

Initially, this blog was going to be closed to the public and just serve as my way of documenting my journey and expressing my feelings about it. But recently, I've had a change of heart. I think the perfect first entry for Natural Sunshine is a post I created and shared with my dear friends at Black Hair Media. It sums up my feelings at this present time.

I started this journey as a way of reaffirming for my daughter that natural hair, specifically her natural hair, was beautiful and to help her love and be proud of it once again ... after having dealt with some ignorant comments made by family members. As a result I have fallen in love with my own, which shocked me because to me, my hair was always "just hair."

Now, the fact that I'm transitioning to my natural hair gives me strength and a pride I never had before. It was an interesting feeling when I felt it developing and now it's one that I relish in. So here I am, wishing not to put any chemical straightener in my hair, not wanting it straight period. No flat iron, no blow dryer. The straight look on me just isn't cute anymore. I look at older pics and I look "funny." lol

At any rate, the point of this thread is that as I follow this path I have come to use more and more natural products. Using things straight out of my kitchen along with oils and the like and I find that our hair is all the better for it. I have also started to be more cognizant of what I put on our skin and in our bodies. My skincare regimen has become more organic - using baking soda, water and a tea tree cleanser by Dessert Essence to wash my face and shea butter to moisturize our face and body. My daughter and I both use these and our skin is happy.

Most recently I've started to look closer at the foods we eat, how I prepare them, etc. Now we've always been "aware" in this regard. Always ate lots of vegetables and fruits, no white rice/bread etc. -only whole grains and whole wheat, 1% milk and cheese made with 2% milk, lots of water, etc. I don't remember the last time I purchased red meat. But now, I've decided that I am transitioning into vegetarianism. I did not make this decision lightly. I've been reading (for some time now) everything I could get my hands on, searching the net, watching YT vids from others who have, etc.

Now, let me clarify (and don't y'all get mad)...while I love animals and wish no harm upon them, this is not my reason. For me, it's about trying to be as organic and "clean" in my approach to how I treat my body (hair, skin and internally) as possible. I'm doing this for overall health reasons and mental balance. It seems like a natural progression (no pun intended).

As to not send my body into shock and to maintain appropriate intake of protein, I've been eating my usual abundance of fruits and veggies, and the only "meats" I've had are shrimp, tilapia and salmon. I've also had some dairy products with cheese and eggs. (Had an omelete yesterday, but typically I don't do eggs). As I understand it this level is called Pesce-Vegetarianism. This typically isn't considered "real" vegetarianism, but I'm not doing this for anyone but me. As I said, I'm transitioning into this, so this is my "first level" and I'm not sure what I'll cut next.

As I continue to learn and grow I'm sure the progression will continue to be a natural one and things will fall into place. I've found so many awesome recipes on YT and across the net and to be honest it doesn't vary that greatly from my regular diet (i.e. way of eating) anyway. I say all this to share that my journey to natural hair has inspired me to refocus my view of my body and recognize that it truly is a temple. I've gotten back into my exercise routine and trying to get more sleep and (though the internet makes it difficult ) and am working on my personal relationship with God and Jesus.

At this point in my life's journey I feel something stirring in me. Very hard to explain with words, but I feel a transformation in process and I just wanted to share all of this with you because you feel like family to me. You've supported me and encouraged me, laughed with (and at ) me and I love you all. When I decided to stop relaxing my hair, I never knew it would inspire such change in my life. So sorry for this SUPER LONG post, but this has been on my heart for some time now and every time I begin to write this I stop..but today was the day and I was determined to get it all out. I don't know if anyone else's hair journey has sparked change in their life (in any way) or not, if so please share, but I just wanted to tell you all about mine.

Has your natural hair journey sparked any change in your life? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Thank you in advance for sharing with me.



Toodles!!