What’s In Your Closet?

We collect items over the years that are of sentiment to us. These items come in many forms and they normally come from significant people and represent significant times. Throughout my life I have collected boxes upon boxes of sentimental items in something that I and most call a memory box. This box has become full of cards, notes, a chip bag, pictures, a fruit roll up, shot glasses and many other random yet memorable items that I have been given. Other than that, I also have sentimental pieces of clothing and jewellery. Of these memorable items I have been given, there is one piece that I will never part with, because this item represents a beautiful gesture from my late nonna Giuseppina.

Over the years my nonna was known as one of the most selfless women, a woman who would want to feed or clothe someone else before herself. I, my siblings and my cousins can all relate to this. But it was not only us, my nonna lived on a street that became heavily populated with University students, and those who moved into the house next to her would always get food delivered to them by her or she would invite them over to her home to eat. If they were having a party and needed chairs, my nonna would be happy to lend them out as long as they were returned by the morning (she had chairs upon chairs). If my nonna knew you did not have something that was essential, she was taking the bus to the mall to get it for you (she didn’t know how to drive). We could bring friends over for lunch during break at the University and if you needed a nap, feel free to take one.

She was the type of woman who cared about the well-being of others. Nonna did not have much, but whatever she did have, she would give it to others because she wanted to ensure everyone else was okay before herself. We have all experienced this generosity from my nonna, and anyone who ever met her knows what I am talking about, because she thought of everyone and I mean EVERYONE.

My nonna was always there for our sacraments, birthdays, back to school shopping; no matter what it was, she wanted to be a big part of it, and I loved and appreciated her for it. There was something that my nonna kept close to her heart, and it was the thought of us unmarried grandchildren. My nonna talked about it a lot, and how she knew that she would not be there for our weddings. My nonna made a beautiful gesture when I was in grade 12. I will never get this out of my mind because it just goes to show how she always wanted to be there for us in a big way. She knew that I would start my prom dress search soon and said that she would like to purchase the dress for me, because she felt sad that down the road she would not be able to be there to buy my last sacramental dress; which would have been a wedding dress.

I can go back to the day when we bought it. She and I were both so thrilled, because I now had a gorgeous dress that was bought by my nonna, and she was thrilled to have been a part of the day. My nonna was the type of woman that would get her joy from the happiness of her grandchildren. As long as we were content and happy, so was she.

Although it may just be a dress for some, that they wore years ago for one night, my dress has a significant memory surrounding it. There is sentiment attached to the dress and there is the selflessness of one of the most amazing women who I have ever spent time with and shared memories with. The amount of things my nonna did for my entire family is more than anyone can ever begin to imagine! But not only for my family, for everyone she came in contact with.

Did my nonna ever expect anything in return? Absolutely not, the only thing my nonna ever wanted was for us to be happy and for us to appreciate our time with her.

Time is something that is very important, we must all utilize it accordingly, because having regrets of not spending enough time with a loved one is something that can eat away at you for a lifetime. Even if you try to rid yourself of the memory, there may be something hidden in your closet that will bring that memory back!

The 24 Hour Nightmare

So last Thursday I decided to try something new. I love new things, but when it comes to a new change, I have difficulties dealing with it. This was a big change, major, something that I have feared for a long time. But, I decided to just go for it, why not? Who is it hurting? What do I have to lose? But little did I know that I could not live with this change, sounds silly right, but I couldn’t even look at myself for the next 24 hours!

For those of you who may not know me well or not know me at all, change takes a lot of thought and mapping out for me. I think about it, think about it some more, ask all of my friends for their opinion and then either go through with it or not. But it is hard, and I mean really hard for me!

You are probably asking yourself, what change could she have possibly made that was that difficult to deal with? Well it was my hair…I had decided that instead of a measly few highlights, I would expand! I would do way more, but not at the top of my head. I wouldn’t dare dye the top of my head until I start seeing gray. Sad, really, that I can’t even make that change.

I envisioned hair like Khloe Kardashian, gorgeous hair! Beautiful highlights, sure I would get it half way through, but still not at the very top. I could just imagine it! Luscious locks of beauty, draping down my back, letting it flow as I walk! I was all game, and ready for fame. Well, not fame, but I was ready for a new look!

I went into this with an open mind, well obviously not at first considering I had to discuss it over with many, but once I was at the salon, I was ready! I was ready, willing and able. I sat there as the dye went into my hair, reading my book, fully trusting the individual doing my hair. Not that I lost trust in them now, but I guess I was not expecting what was going to happen next.

The timer went off, we were ready, for a nice little trim and blow out! I couldn’t wait to see the final product. After washing my hair, we scoot over to the chair…and that’s when I see it! Why was half of my head fully blonde? Why did I feel like a joke? I sat there getting my hair blown out, super confused! And I wasn’t the only one that noticed, he noticed it as well! He could read my face, and that’s when he said, “Well, if you feel like this is too much come back and I will take some out”.

Take some out? How about take out the majority of what is going on over here! I thought I was back in 2001 with my hair! I couldn’t even look at myself, I was a joke. I do not even know how I went out to dinner with my family looking like this. I got a lot of reviews…and they weren’t good. My brother told me I looked ratchet, which was when I knew I couldn’t deal with this.

Trying to convince myself I would give it a shot for a week, I went to bed thinking that by the morning I would like it. But…I woke up hoping it was a nightmare. But a nightmare it was not! This was real life and so far I looked like an eclectic, ratchet, early 2000s girl who couldn’t look at herself.

By noon the next day I called the salon and made an appointment to get this nonsense out of my hair! I was told that my hair was for trendy people…to be honest honey; trendy people would not even walk in public with this hair! They can keep their trendy, because this girl ain’t trendy if this is what trendy is supposed to look like.

No hard feelings to my salon, I will always go back! I just think we all had different visions for my hair. I thought I would walk out with the hair of Khloe, and they envisioned me as a gypsy woman at the side of the street trying to sell handmade goods from scraps.

There are some choices we make that can be an easy fix, which is fantastic. But, on the other hand, there are choices we make that may not be an easy fix. We need to realize that in life we are going to have to make many choices, we just need to be more careful with what we decide upon, or if we do make a choice that we are unhappy with, there are always ways to overcome it! Embracing change is something that is important in order to learn and grow (but if you do not like the change you made, feel free to make another change).