My eyes were burning from being at my computer last week so I decided to take a break and give myself a little time to self-soothe. So after my radio show on Monday, off I went to the local spa, what a luxury!
Alicia, my esthetician, is from Jamaica and sometimes I think it is more of a treat to learn about her values than to actually get a facial. Sure she’s cleaning my face but the real cleansing is in the way she cleanses my perspective on what really matters. Although I enjoy a quiet facial, I always feel an almost celestial voice saying, “Listen”.
I remember the first time I met her. She was new to the salon. I am consistently busy so that slowing down can be a challenge. But she was taking her time. She was new to the process…or so I thought.
NO, She was just taking her time. She was giving me what I asked for…to slow down. I obviously wasn’t ready.
As we began to chat, she revealed that her birthday was on May 8th. My father was also born May 8th. A man who believed in being of service to others. He passed away almost three years ago. Hmm Coincidental? Maybe, but for now let’s just hold that thought.
She talked about loving. Real love. Giving. Real giving. And mind you, if you are reading this and wondering what all this chatter was during a facial, trust me, it was VERY SOOTHING. It was genuine. It was authentic. The facial and the conversation became one. Cleaning my face. Getting rid of any dirt. She talked about loving people. That’s really all there is in life. Why everything else is just an illusion and a huge waste of our time when there are so many other important things to contend with. Like homelessness. Like Starvation. Being of service to others.
Then there was the steam. It was as if the message to love everyone didn’t stick, she would loosen you up with steaming your face. That would surely remove any dirt. I found myself feeling almost hypnotized with the message. My breath began to deepen.
And then came the exfoliation and it burned. Ouch. If you didn’t get rid of the deep ingrain old crap, she would apply the medication so nicely it would actually feel pretty good. Even the way she said, “Does that feel ok ?” I will remove it if it doesn’t.” I began to think about how sometimes letting go can hurt. I reminded myself it’s part of this process called life.
I wanted a clean face but I know I was getting a whole lot more. She was bringing me to a place of integrity just by being the loving soul she is.
By now if you are asking, “ok, well what is the message?” Read it again. It is simply the message of being loving, giving and GRATEFUL. THAT’S IT.
So why then is it so damn hard for people to practice it? The time, the money, and energy spent on things that are meaningless. What a waste!
I’ve been getting facials for a long time and I can tell you while the exfoliation is doing it’s magic, the esthetician is chatting with her friends or grabbing a quick bite(I’m not complaining by the way) but she certainly isn’t with me during the process. She’s in another room.
Well, Alicia is different. She stays with you. She rubs your feet like she means it. I start to feel guilty but then she reminds me I am worth it. She means it. Alicia is love. That simple. She reminds me that only love is real.
She says she could pamper me all day. I feel nurtured, safe and I am going through the process of getting rid of any emotional dirt I might be carrying. I almost feel like I could cry. She’s right there with me and I feel safe. She’s not going anywhere and now I feel like I am slowing down now.
Now the final treatment. The mask. A mask seems like it just doesn’t fit anymore. A mask when I am reminded about being loving? Apparently it is intended to seal it, just in case I forget.
After she applies the mask she does leave. But not before she tells me she will be right back. I tell her to take her time. She is allowing me to sit with it all. It feels great. She comes back ten minutes later and I’m sleeping like a baby. She removes the mask. She moisturizes my face to keep it SOFT. Be soft I thought.
I remember the numerous vacations to Jamaica when I was in my twenties. It was a great time. Suddenly I have this feeling that her experience in Jamaica wasn’t the same as mine. I asked her where she lived in Jamaica. She didn’t have a roof over her head. She slept wherever she could. I asked her where she got her food. She said when she was hungry she would look for a fruit tree. I asked her what it felt like to be hungry, to be without food. Seems like a silly question but somehow I wanted to know how it felt for her. I wanted to connect more with her. Feel her pain because she feels mine. “Awful” she said.
She spritzes my face with fresh water. “How do you feel?” she asks. “You look radiant” she says.
My sister and I were talking recently and we were both reminiscing about my father and “wishing” he were still alive. In my most relaxed state, I forgot Alicia’s birthday. She reminded me it was May 8th. The same day my father was born. Now I know why I was picking her brain. I guess it was no coincidence at all.
I don’t think the radiance came from the actual facial. Talk about luxury? I feel brand new.
