The ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has made us appreciate our hairdressers more than ever.
None more so, however, than a widower in Virginia, US, who penned a heartwarming letter to a hairdresser who went above and beyond when providing his late wife, who had dementia, with a wonderful trim.
The hairdresser, Sara Verkuilen, received the letter and shared it to her Facebook page. In the note, the man revealed that his wife had sadly passed away since the appointment back in December, but detailed that it meant a great deal to her, being the "last best moment of her life".
"This is why I love what I do. Thank you for this letter," Sara captioned a picture of the note.
"Dear Sara, ‘This is a little bit awkward. But I’ve waited a really long time to pass this on to you. 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," the letter began.
"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 felt so pretty. 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 the dozens of haircuts you gave that day. But one which revitalised a woman’s sense of self and her singular beauty. I hope you always realise the power of your profession. ‘It’s so easy to take things like that for granted. Sincerely, a grateful customer."
Sara's hair salon, Hair Cuttery, was delighted by the glowing review and shared the post to their own Facebook page.
"When stories like this come out, we are all reminded of why we chose to do this. ‘We couldn’t be prouder to have Sara be a part of Hair Cuttery family of brands," they wrote.