My name is Tonica. I am a 10 year old girl.

I may look like an ordinary girl, from the pictures that you've seen. I want you to go back to my picture and look at the top of my head. Hmmmmm where's my hair?

I have always had a head full of hair. In fact mom says I'm the hairiest baby she had ever seen. I'm her eldest, so I doubt she has seen many babies before me.

A lot of work goes into maintaining my hair. This journey has been a learning experience for both mom and I. Mom loves sayin, 'Always remember, deep conditioning is your busherati's best friend."

Yep, my hair has an actual name, Busherati.

A protective style often follows a successful wash day. Mom says we need to tame my mane. This saves us a lot of time on school days.

We just spritz and go!

I remember having an argument with my grade 1 teacher. I was sharing my news about my hair that was bigger than the last time. She said, "I'm sure you mean longer." I said, "no ma'am, I definitely meant bigger."

She tried explaining that hair grows long. I told her, "not mine, please just wait and see."

Needless to say, she was blown away at the next civvies day!

Later that year, my ballet instructor, sent a note home. She told mom, I needed a perfect ballerina bun for my recital. She advised her to either straighten my hair or braid it.

Mom didn't do any of the two. She embraced the challenge.

That day, while mom was brushing (and I was suffering), I asked mom why my hair grew up and not down. She said, "Miss T you were born to stand out. Can you imagine how boring the world would be if we all looked the same?"

I pointed out to her that even the ladies in my books had long, flowing hair. She decided to read a few with curly haired characters.

I fell in love with those. They weren't needy. Instead, they were warrior princesses, just like me;

Ever since that day, I fell in love with my crown.

I am Tonica Matthews, the warrior princess, whose hair grows up and not down!