Beauty shops are like sisterhoods, I think. It’s the place we go for special times like proms and weddings, or just to keep up our appearance day to day.
We know we are among friends there because, well, who else would we let see us with tin foil or pink plastic rods and cotton balls in our hair?
When a client lets the others in the salon know of a triumph or accomplishment, there is joy. When there is a concern, often the discussion goes from chair to chair and a solution is sought.
When Tecumseh graduate Hannah Heinl deployed with her National Guard unit to Bagram, Afghanistan, her friends at Dezigns by Tonya in Enon kept up with her through Facebook and email. Before deploying, Heinl had worked as a make-up artist during special events at Tanya’s.
One day she sent a request from overseas.
Heinl wanted to buy some of the hair products she had previously purchased at the salon. She explained that the shampoos, conditioners and other items available to the troops just were not working well with her hair. Even though she was concentrating on her military duties, she would love to have nice hair again.
Stylists Carrie Stott and Heather Mercuri decided to set out a donation jar for their friend. It didn’t take long to collect enough change from patrons to purchase shampoos and conditioners specially formulated for hard water.
Touched by the support, shop owner Tonya Robards and the other stylists donated additional products.
“We just put together a box of what we thought would work well in that environment,” said Robards, who explained that they took into account the heat and atmospheric extremes when selecting products.
Amazingly, the care package only took six days to get to Heinl. Soon she and others in her unit were enjoying some of the comforts of home.
“I was very grateful they took the time to not only send me some great products but they also sent some for the other females in my unit,” Heinl told me via a Facebook message. “Being on deployment with the crazy weather, all the added stress on not only our hair, but physically and mentally, really start to take a toll when you are away from friends and family.”
Heinl explained that the care package from her friends was “definitely a huge part in keeping our spirits up.”
I’m sure that anyone who has ever been deployed overseas with the military will echo her grateful comments. It’s those little touches of home that makes the difference during those long tours of duty.
How we look out for each other is one of the things I love about living in a small town. Writing about unselfish acts like this make me proud to be a part of this community.
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