How do you sum up a life? There is no way that I can. 48 years of experiences and relationships that flowed through one mind and one soul, it’s not possible, so this is what I can say.
I first met Amy 4 years ago, when she was searching for a new salon home. She was soft-spoken yet confident and she was excited to start her next chapter after being given a new lease on life. She had just finished treatment for breast cancer and was given the all-clear!
I was expecting Amy to be a timid, shy person, but first impressions can be so deceiving. Time would reveal her to have sharp sense of humor, a fierce competitive streak and a strong set of values and convictions.
She came to our salon with a group of lovely clients who were devoted to her, and I could see that she was loved! I discovered we shared a love for orange, because, we agreed, it is the happiest color. She got excited when it snowed, as did I, and I could clearly see that she was “my people”. Over time I learned that Amy was an optimist, that she was very strong in the face of pain, and she was a cheerleader who would encourage the newer stylists to work hard and stick with it.
She often surprised me with the stories she would share with her clients, delivered so dryly, punctuated by shockingly hilarious punchlines.
Her love of competition was showcased by her drive to excel at every sales contest, and she brought her competitive streak with her to the company Christmas parties! She would not hesitate to get aggressive and really loved to win!
In almost 30 years of hairdressing, I never met anyone so vocal in her appreciation of her work, her clients, and her workplace. When I would visit her during her treatment, she would often tell me “If I could get up and walk, I would walk straight to the salon and get back to work.” She missed doing hair, and I think what that really meant was that she missed her relationships with her clients and her coworkers. One thing that defined her was her devotion to the people she cared about. Her children were, of course, her highest priority. She worked hard to give them new and fun experiences. Her chats with her clients were often about their latest adventures.
She loved music and had a big lineup of concerts that she went to in 2022, it was awesome hearing how much fun she had at these shows.
She was grateful to be in remission and wanted to give back, she was training for a charity stair climb when she found that the cancer had returned. We knew that her knee had been bothering her at work but hadn’t expected the news to be this devastating prognosis.
Life really isn’t fair! It doesn’t make sense that someone who is such an amazing mother, wife, and friend would have their life cut short. It hurts to lose someone, and I will miss Amy profoundly. Her loss has left a huge hole in our salon family. I miss her sense of humor, her soft way of speaking, her laugh, her support, and her unique outlook on life. If you really knew Amy, you couldn’t help but love her. Amazingly, her faith In God remained strong. I hope my sister was there to greet her as she started her next adventure and I look forward to seeing her again. Until then, my friend!
Amy wins Christmas!