This Hairdresser Received The Most Heartfelt Letter From A Widower
These days, the value of workers can often be overlooked. When a widower realized that his late wife's trip to the salon was one of her last happy moments in life, he became overwhelmed with gratitude. He wrote the hairstylist a heartfelt letter, which made all the difference during a time when her career was at stake.
Read on to see how the seemingly average event became profound to a loving husband, a considerate hairdresser, and a woman nearing the end of her life.
Sara The Hairstylist
Sara was living an average life in Illinois. She had recently gotten married and had a son. Her career as a hairstylist was going well, but she couldn't have known what a difference she would make in the life of one of her clients.
Sara also had no clue that the story would circulate the internet and bring her more praise than she could have possibly imagined that she would receive. It goes to show that one small act of kindness can go a very long way.
Pursuing Her Dreams
After graduating from high school, Sara began cosmetology school in 2012. She studied at the Cosmetology and Spa Institute and worked at Ulta Beauty, a cosmetics store. Like many aspiring stylists, Sara understood the power of feeling good on both the inside and the outside.
She wasn't afraid to embrace her own style and inspired others to do the same. Being a professional hairdresser was the perfect fit not only due to her talent but also because of the way she approached her clients.
Finding Her Style
Over the years, Sara has taken on various looks. She's dyed her hair all sorts of colors, cut it different ways, and has gotten various tattoos and piercings. All of this is to say that she isn't the kind of stylist to judge the desired look of one of her clients.
On the contrary, she understands the importance of self-expression. Whatever her client wants to give a try, Sara will give it her all and support them the whole way through.
Skillfully Daring
Thisvis just one example of Sara's impressive work. Her client arrived with bleached hair that was uneven at the bottom and showed her dark emerging roots.
Some stylists wouldn't dare dye their clients' hair blue and purple-- or maybe attempt it but wouldn't be able to pull it off. Sara did a fantastic job with the task, leaving her client with beautifully blended, vibrant hair.
Restoring Damaged Hair
Dying hair isn't the only job a skilled hairstylist has. Though this client didn't opt for wildly colored hair, the before and after is still a noticeable improvement. That's because of a deep conditioning hair treatment that restores dry, breaking hair.
The result is a smooth, shiny head of hair that looks completely different than it did when the client first walked through the door. Regardless of the clients' needs, Sara does a stellar job of making sure that they leave feeling fully revitalized.
Caring For A Woman With Dementia
One day, an elderly couple came into the salon. When Sara discovered that the wife had dementia, she decided that the best thing to do would be to treat her like she would any other client.
She told Bored Panda, "I have no experience with dementia whatsoever. I just try to treat everyone that sits in my chair with basic human respect." Sara had no idea how much of a difference her kindness would make.
Facing Career Instability
Once COVID-19 forced many businesses to close down, Sara became one of the many workers who couldn't work. After months of stay-at-home orders, the company she worked for even went bankrupt.
Her salon was on the brink of closing down for good, which brought about a "rollercoaster of emotions," as Sara described it. Like so many displaced workers, Sara found herself scrambling to adapt to a tricky situation that she had no part in creating.
Getting Through Tough Times As A Family
Sara's blow to her career wasn't just tough because it was her passion. It was also stressful because she had her family to take care of, including their adorable little boy.
Fortunately, Sara was able to receive unemployment benefits for the time being. She also had a friend who got her work at another salon until Sara's opened back up. Still, she admitted to Bored Panda that the experience left her feeling "uninspired."
Much-Needed Words Of Gratitude
After months of pandemic-related worry, Sara received a letter that was a much-needed reminder of what makes her so great at her job. The elderly man who had come in with his wife the previous December wrote the kind words.
The letter began, "This is a little bit awkward. But I've waited a really long time to pass this on to you." He goes on to explain when he and his wife came into the salon, and how much it meant to them.
One Of The Last, Best Moments Of Her Life
The letter continues, "My wife was suffering from dementia, and you treated her as if you'd been working with dementia patients all your life. You let us sit next to each other, and when it came time for her cut you turned her chair towards me so I could watch her expression as you cut her hair.
It turned out even better than I thought it would. Sadly, she died in March. And that haircut was one of the last, best moments of her life. She felt so pretty."
A Grateful Customer
The elderly man ended the note saying that his wife would visit the bathroom multiple times a day just to see her gorgeous hair and that seeing her "so happy was priceless." He could tell that the haircut "revitalized [her] sense of self and her singular beauty."
Lastly, he wrote, "I hope you realized the power of your profession. It's so easy to take things like that for granted." He signed it "a grateful customer," leaving Sara wishing she could reach out to the thoughtful man.
Restoring Her Sense Of Purpose
Since Sara couldn't reach out to the man directly, she decided to post the letter on social media. In the caption, she wrote, "This is why I love what I do. Thank you for this letter."
Sara told Bored Panda that she cried when she received the letter, as it was just what she needed to hear. She also said that she remembered the couple, how adorable they were together, and what a doting husband the man was towards his wife.
Continued Appreciation
After Sara shared the letter on social media, it gathered attention rapidly. People commented on the photo saying how emotional it made them. The letter carried even more weight since it came in the midst of a historically challenging year.
Various people wrote how the note made them cry. One commenter further validated Sara by saying, "You are a special person and I recognized that immediately. This is why we keep coming back to you. Always know you make a difference every time we sit in your chair."
An Internet Sensation
Sara also shared the letter on Twitter, which garnered even more attention. People began sharing the post, and before long the story was a viral sensation. Commenters noted the beauty of the note and Sara's kindness.
One person wrote, "Wow that's fantastic recognition for a job well done. Big pat on the back for that stylist." Even more people shared in Sara's tears, moved by the purely sweet story, something that the public desperately needed.
Spreading Awareness
Another thing that the letter did was give people a platform to relate their stories related to health conditions. One commenter wrote, "My mum has dementia and has been going to the same hairdressers for 20 years. Her weekly visit is the things she has missed most during lockdown."
They continued, "The salon staff are always so kind to her and it's one of the few things she recognizes." Another person tweeted that her ill mother "felt amazing" after getting her hair done and how "those simple things matter."
Making Her Family Proud
One thing that's apparent on Sara's social media is how much she values her family. In the caption of one family photo she wrote, "Here's to hoping I can look back on these photos and remember good times and not just the insanity in the world right now."
Naturally, her parents were very proud of their kind daughter for making a difference in someone's life. Her mother was one of many who commented on the heartwarming post.
A Mother's Happy Tears
While Sara's story made many cry, perhaps the person who was most impacted was her mother. She wrote, "This is such a gift that you gave that sweet couple. I am so grateful for my daughter's sensitive thoughtfulness."
Now that Sara is a mom, we imagine that she felt the weight of making her mother proud even more. Best of all, she set a great example for her son, who can make a positive impact when he's older, too.
She Also Made Grandma Proud
If making her mom proud wasn't enough, Sara also made her grandmother over the moon. The woman commented on the post saying, "Heartwarming... so proud of you. Love you my dear granddaughter Sara."
You know you've done something great when multiple generations in the family take the time to recognize it. Both her mother and her grandmother can feel confident that Sara is a carrying a positive family legacy by impacting the hearts of many.
A Scholarship In Her Name!
After all of the online attention that Sara received, her work took notice at their stellar employee. Her leaders provided her with this bouquet, candy, and a card. Sara also found out that her company is going to help her get Redken certified.
Last but far from least, they created a cosmetology scholarship in her name! Sara couldn't have been more thrilled and filled with gratitude. All of the kindness she had put forth returned to her several times over!
Continued Recognition
As with the letter, Sara's mom was overjoyed as Sara's fantastic news about her work. What started as a challenging year for her career turned into perhaps the biggest leap forward yet!
Sara wrote, "Words cannot even express the appreciation I have for all the love I have received recently over the letter from my client [...] I hoped this letter could be a little ray of sunshine in the uncertain world we are in right now, just like it has been for me and it seems like it is!"
