Stories that Live On

Leyla D, President of Thornton Academy chapter and winner of the GG Leader Award, reflects on how GlamourGals showed her how people’s stories live on, long beyond their goodbyes.

When I arrived at Thornton Academy, I decided to do something different. I started a GlamourGals club, to build a place where stories didn’t vanish with the person telling them. On our first visit, I came with concealer and nail polish, ready to bargain with the makeup gods. But after the styling ended, the storytelling continued. A resident with a purple head of hair told us she wanted vibrant makeup to go dance with the “cowboy-looking hottie.” On Mother’s Day, a woman wanted pink makeup and nails to match her daughter as they were going shopping afterwards. An Italian resident wanted red nails and lipstick, and she gave me a very delicious spaghetti recipe to try. The residents nicknamed “Golden Girls” sat together as we gave them makeovers and told us about the drama happening in their home.

Starting a GlamourGals chapter became the answer to a question I hadn’t known I was asking: What do we leave behind when we leave? I realized that the way you can make people feel can outlast the longest goodbye. The makeup we put on will be washed away, but the warmth in that afternoon will still stay in that room after we leave. I’ve created a place not to leave, but to return to.