Hair talk and other practical things

Jessica Lewis, vlogger, MahoganyCurls

If anyone has been following my recent Facebook posts, they'll notice my new obsession with making organic hair products for natural hair. Based on the quick responses from family, I realize it's an important discussion for minorities -- particularly women.

Hair is our crown and glory. The glow of our skins light up rooms when we enter. Yet, being immersed in a world where European sensibilities and images are all we see, the beauty of our own God-given assets are obscured. It's a particularly sensitive subject for African-American women.

So, Mi Familia, what do you think about me posting a section of this blog dedicated to practical health and beauty tips? After all, I discovered a whole new world in the burgeoning natural hair movement that we all could learn from.

If anyone wonders what this has to do with family history/genealogy, I have to say ... EVERYTHING. We're genetically connected. Why not learn how to take care of the peculiar assets we've all inherited?

So, since my demanding writing schedule has slowed my family history reporting for this blog, I can immediately write about practical thins we all could use. After all, I once had a cosmetology license in three states. I can still put it to use.

Recipes for posterity

Think about it. Aunt Lucy lived to age 108 employing a lifetime of old fashioned folk wisdom until her dying breath. I've recently read others who use apple cider vinegar (ACV) in their diets much like she did. One young Asian vlogger demonstrated her daily ACV and water cocktail and I immediately got a tall glass of vinegar and water. As I sipped, I thought Aunt Lucy was, once again, vindicated.

Also, we've got a plethora of family recipes -- pickled watermelon rind, for instance -- that need to be preserved for posterity. Our elders are getting older and many recipes and centuries-old know-how may be out of our reach soon if we don't act. How many of us know how to plant a garden according to the almanac? I sure don't. But, Aunt Henrietta and my mother do. How many of us know how to can fresh produce or make damson plumb jelly? Again, only a few are left who know how.

We have a folk-wisdom cookbook already written in our history. We just have to put it on paper.