My Grandmothers’ Braids

Simple hair rituals are an important expression of self-care for the women in my family

Illustration: HERIKITA

My paternal grandmother had a head full of thick, almost all-black hair, so much hair that she could barely ever leave it loose. Her hairline extended to her temples and to the nape of her neck, and her hair grew to her waist. Whenever I try remembering her now, almost seven…