Welcome to the Moth podcast. I'm Dan Kennedy, and on today's episode, we have two stories for you.

The first one is from DiAvion Walters, and DiAvion was part of our high school Grand Slam back in 2016, where she told this story.

Now, keep in mind as this story unfolds that these stakes are basically the end of the world when you're in high school.

Here's Diavian Walters, live at the month.

Oh my god.

Like fill my heart, like drumming in my chest.

Okay, so when I was younger, my mom was the only one to touch my hair, and that was one of two reasons.

The first reason being I had partial alopecia, meaning that I had these ball spots that doctors told me I would never be able to grow my hair back.

I'd never be able to braid my hair.

And I felt really insecure being a child because I love my hair.

So, but with some mom magic, it grew back.

It grew back really healthy, and I was so happy.

I didn't have ball spots anymore.

But this leads me into the second reason why my mom only did my hair,

because thick hair and a tender scalp, it doesn't mix.

It don't mix.

So whenever I saw a comb, whenever she went to do my hair, come let's braid your hair.

I would run and like hide under the bed.

There was no other option for me.

So at one point we both grew tired of this.

I grew tired of running from her when I saw the comb.

She got tired of trying to like gank my hair straight, because my hair was nappy when I was a kid. So it still is. Thank you. It still is. But she's like, no what? Screw it. I'm gonna give you a relaxer. So I'm like, so you mean you don't have to comb my hair all the time? You don't have to braid it tight?

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