Goodbye June.
One of my clients of many years just passed. I say passed because of my own faith, and knowing full well of her faith.
She was a good catholic woman that went to church weekly and had numerous talks of religion with me through the years. We’ve shared the loss of twin sister at birth, the loss of her first born son due to a full term miscarriage, and then the loss of her elderly mother that lived well into her 90’s. We both felt very strong that she would see them all again one day.
She was divorced and shared her house with one of her kids and their family, and had a nice group of friends that are also my clients and friends for many years. I would see June every 4-5 weeks for haircuts, and every once in a while for color. We would always talk about how at her age she still didn’t have a lot of gray hair.
We loved and spoke about the show Project Runway, Dancing with the Stars, and she loved police crime shows. She would also speak highly of her kids and her grandchildren telling me stories of her visits to Florida for Christmas with them. Unfortunately she didn’t speak to one of her kids which I know laid heavy on her heart but was also not the begging for forgiveness type that would allow the child to disrespect her mother.
I will always respect how she beat so many illnesses that for some would be the end, but for June, a fight to win. Breast cancer, colon cancer, repetitive pneumonia, and a heart condition that lead to open heart surgery.
She was old enough to be my mother but we connected on a level that wasn’t about age, or gender even. We laughed and even cried at times over shared memories and stories. She would often say how getting her hair done was her therapy. She loved talking to me and the girls at my salon and though she probably talked to the point of exhausting some of my employees, I never got tired of listening to her voice.
That voice is now silenced.
I’ll miss you June. I’ll miss you peeking your head in every month asking if anyone wants something from the bagel store before your appointment so you could get your everything bagel with low fat cream cheese. I’ll miss you always forgetting the assistants name in my salon but always quizzing yourself to remember. I’ll miss your laugh and will even miss your coughing if I sprayed a hair spray that you didn’t like.
I’ll miss our talks about the contestants on Project runway. I’ll think of you often when I use my “Mood” shopping bag that I bought for you also.
You were a classy lady and you will not be forgotten by me, or my girls.
Rest in peace and I’ll see you again someday.