BONUS XOMU: Remember when I wouldn't talk about my hair?

Today's Melissa is more confident, far happier, and takes herself way less seriously. Here's why.

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If you’ve been following me on Instagram since the early days (pre-divorce, 2014 or 2015), you may remember a few things I was a stickler about. I didn’t use emojis, for one—I insisted they were silly and “preferred to use my words.” I posted few selfies, and never shared a photo in a sports bra or bathing suit. And I refused to talk about my hair, despite the fact that people constantly asked.

“I love your hair! What kind of products do you use?”
“I love your hair! How do you get those curls?”
”I love your hair! How does it look so good even on a hike?”

People would post these comments in places where I definitely wasn’t talking about myself or my hair, and I would tersely reply, “I don’t want to talk about my hair—let’s stay focused on the topic at hand (mental health/Whole30/recovery).”

“What a bitch,” you might be thinking, and I don’t blame you. It probably seemed like I was holier-than-thou; beneath talking about “frivolous” stuff like hair or clothes. That’s not at all what was happening, though.