Nobody "Does" It Better

This is a tribute to my hairdresser and friend, Lyse Pearman. Lyse started "doing" my hair back in 1965, soon after she moved south from her native Quebec. I had a French twist back then, and she was one of the few people who could make it stay in place and look good on me. Must have been in her genes.

We've seen each other through "thick (a problem for both of us) and thin". She has supported me through my physical and mental battles and I her through the illnesses and death of her dear husband Andy. She even appears regularly in my dreams. (No, not for that reason!) Perhaps it's because I have seen her so often over the years. It used to be once a week; now, thanks to my wash and wear hairdo, it's only once a month.

After Cathy was born I had her cut my long hair and I've kept it short ever since. She cuts my hair with a razor. When I lived in Northern Virginia my young oriental hairstylist told me, "Not velly many people get "laser" cut--just old ladies!" (I was 43 at the time.) The color she mixes for me looks natural, though my wrinkles and sags give away my age.

Many of Lyse's customers are "older" women--really old. She knows just how to treat their thin white tresses and make them feel special at the same time. Some have a problem remembering when their appointments are. She usually manages to accommodate them regardless of when they arrive. I've screwed up my appointment time more than once. I've learned to keep it "standing" unless I absolutely must change it.

She cares deeply for others and has helped too many friends make it through their final days in the past few years.

She and Andy used to have their own shop. Now she rents a station at Park Place Studio. I don't know what I'll do if she decides to retire. When it comes to my hair, "Nobody does it better"!