Mama Strange is my great grandmothers legacy. She was a seamstress and a beautician with a focus on mending peoples clothes and their spirits, cleaning them up with a shave or haircut and a beauty treatment … making sure your cup was full of a fine southern beverage and your belly and your heart were well nourished.

She made sure everyone knew they were loved.

Back in the days of the Great Depression, in a little Louisiana town, my great-grandmother believed that one of the finest ways to serve others was by creating beauty—both in how people looked and how they felt. With gentle hands, a caring heart, and a gift for helping folks see their own worth, she brought a little more light, confidence, and grace into the lives of everyone she knew and touched.

“You can choose to glow,” she told everyone.

She was a faithful daughter, a strong and spirited mother, a devoted grandmother, and a humble beauty queen.

She met people where they were and built them up with humor, affection, attention and compassion.

From her roots grew two generations of beauticians, bodyworkers, healthcare practitioners, nurses, and holistic healers. She raised her family with a deep appreciation for one another, a respect for the gifts of Mother Nature, and a belief that true wellness comes from living in the harmony of love. She taught us that when people gather with grateful hearts, God has a way of showing up and showing off, reminding His children to care for one another and cherish the life we've been given.

When in doubt, you go to work … serving each other is serving your community and your creator.