I had a lot of feelings about that Beyonce wig and now it’s on the floor, matted and forgotten.

I was shook at the request. I was panicking about how I possibly didn’t do enough to teach her that her hair was beautiful in its natural state and that she was pining for a type of beauty that was different than the one she was born with. And ALL that other stuff about Black girls looking older and being fast-tailed was rearing up in my mind.

Yeah, that was my own stuff. Not hers.

Keeping her from buying the wig, lecturing her about Black beauty, or showing my disapproval of her choice would have surely made it a negative experience for both of us. And while all of my concerns may be valid, there are plenty of other times for me to discuss those things and model my values. At THAT moment, when she came to me with a moist, crumpled bunch of dollar bills and coins, and a link to the Beyonce wig on Amazon, she needed me to be excited about spending HER money on the thing SHE wanted.

And I DID that!