Widower Sends Hairstylist Touching Letter About His Wife's Last Haircut and How Much It Meant to Her

When we go out into the world, we often take the people we meet for granted as we run our errands.

They fulfill a need and both parties are polite. Then, they’re gone just as soon as the interaction started. Sometimes, however, they give us much needed contact, especially in the era of COVID-19.

A bittersweet letter of one such interaction has recently gone viral. It was sent to a hairstylist in Illinois named Sara Verkuilen.

Here’s the letter…

And here’s the text…

Dear Sara,

My wife and I came in for haircuts shortly before Christmas of last year. 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 visited the mirror in her bathroom several times during the day and would come out beaming. To see her so happy was priceless.

Looking back, it was likely one of dozens of haircuts you gave that day. But one which revitalized a woman’s sense of self and her singular beauty. I hope you always realize the power of your profession.
It’s so easy to take things like that for granted.

Sincerely,

A grateful customer

Sara was moved by the letter, saying she cried when she read it. Until that point, she was thinking of leaving the profession, but she was convinced not to. The interaction also offered her comfort as she struggled.

“I was out of work due to covid for a few months and the company I work for went bankrupt and almost closed my salon forever so it was a wild rollercoaster of emotions.”

Everyone who read the story was touched by it. Some just wanted to say that a little kindness goes a long way and some were stylists themselves. She even got flowers!

Here are some of the comments…