Don’t Go Alone...

“If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
African Proverb                                             

Six months ago, we celebrated my 50th anniversary in the beauty industry. I throw the number ‘50’ around as if it was just a number. The truth is, it’s a life-time of building ‘together’. 
And the best way to appreciate what we have is to have it taken away. Whether losing a job or a loved one, planned events canceled, church services suspended, or unable to grocery shop, most of us depend on others to experience our satisfying lives. The liberty to unite, travel and congregate is a birth right, at least in most countries, especially the United States, where we were founded on the principles of freedom. People find each other and form relations big and small, as varied as book clubs, meetups, AA Meetings, hiking groups and bible studies. There is no question about it, we need each other to survive, grow and flourish.

As we are rounding the curve and can now see a road ahead again, we can begin to breath and allow our bodies to quell the anxiety and take back our self-confidence knowing that we’ve got this one!  Each one of us has our own story of where it hurt the most. Each one has bandaged up that place and in time, with sunshine and the salve of love and attention, we will heal. Yet there is a part of us that will always remember what we went through together. As Rumi, the 13th-century Persian poet, theologian and Sufi mystic wrote: “Don’t turn away. Keep your gaze on the bandaged place. That’s where the light enters you.” And I know that together, we will heal faster and go farther.

My bandaged place is where my heart lives. I have a passion for working. I thrive on being productive, connecting, creating with my hands and ideas and I absolutely care about people. What I didn’t realize was how much together I had tethered over the 50 years of working.   

Closing the doors at Pluma was difficult; heart wrenching actually. Any business owner whose heart is in their work and with their people, either clients or their team knows the pain of uncertainty.  The story I will share is what Terri Edwards, our stylist at Pluma would say, “I hope it has a happy ending.”

This is what hope and happy look like in the Pluma story. Within the first day of our closing, clients offered to help us through this rough time. Some clients paid extra on the last day of their service. Others offered to pay for their hair appointments for April knowing we would be closed. Others offered to write checks for the rest of the year to keep us afloat for our lack of income. Yet others dropped off money to my front door at my home, including thank you cards.  People called, emailed or texted daily to make sure we were okay. My client, Roberta, walked me through the application for a small business loan…. twice! This was not an easy process. Eufora International, our preferred salon product company, offered us two half days of complementary online educational seminars; Vision Quest, which we’ve attended and typically pay $600 each to attend. They assure us they are there for us now and will be with us when we reopen our doors. And I know they will. 

As I celebrate my 70th birthday in this beautiful month of May, I am feeling a heart bursting with gratitude. I am profoundly touched by the kindness and generosity of the women and men in my life. Not only through Pluma but through friendships who encouraged and held us up during this time. (Of course, there was no touching with the social distancing) Their calls, emails, texts, jokes, inspirational messages and financial support took away the fears and filled me with hope. I shall never forget how they made me feel…. I feel as if we are indeed Finishing Strong. 

To you my clients and friends and team Pluma, I say let’s go fast and let’s go far, and let’s go together! No one wants to celebrate alone! 

In the words of Maya Angelou, “I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

I feel absolutely grateful.  

Hilda 
P.S. I look forward to seeing you after May 15!