FLOWERS NOW!

cassiekarch
Nov 16
3 min read

I know you’ve heard the phrase give people their flowers now. For anyone who’s unsure what that means, it’s simple: celebrate and support people today. Stop waiting until someone is gone to finally post about how much they meant to you. LOVE is an action word. If you truly love someone, you show up for them in real time.

Recently, someone I love passed away unexpectedly. And yes, some might argue that death is never truly unexpected because we all face it eventually. But we hope it comes with old age, not before someone has lived their full story. I don’t know exactly what happened, and honestly, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that I believe she was taken far too soon.

My friend Mattice was a beacon of light, for the world, for her hometown of Tacoma, and for everyone lucky enough to cross her path. She was the unofficial mayor, always ready to break down politics for anyone willing to listen. She pushed people to vote, to understand their power, to use their voices. She would give her last dollar to someone in need, even when she needed it just as much.

She owned and ran Mattice Beauty Supply, the only place I’ve bought hair products, soaps, bonnets, accessories, and so much more for the last two years. She gave every customer her full attention. You never walked out of that store without learning something new about your hair or yourself for that matter.

And I can just imagine her now, watching from above, talking so much mess about all the social media posts from people who never stepped foot in her store. That was her, honest, direct, and never afraid to say what needed to be said. Her IG stories were like community service announcements. And any quick 10-minute purchase I made always turned into a three-hour conversation. We had that kind of connection. I’d joke about whether her husband Chris was irritated with me keeping her so long, and she’d always laugh and reassure me he wasn’t. Oh you had to be there for that conversation, wink wink. I remember our last conversation I told her I finally sent my next book off to my editor, she couldn't wait to read it.

When I went through a period of depression and went quiet, she noticed right away. She invited me to a glass-decorating event at her store, something small, but it lifted my whole mood and reminded me that I was loved. We did that for each other. I told everyone I knew (and didn’t know via social media) about her business, and at least twice a month a new customer showed up because of it. That might seem small to some people, but for a small business owner, that’s huge.

There is so much more I could say about who she was to me, to her community, and the world. But this post would go on for days, and I know some of y’all would tap out. So I’ll leave you with this:

Celebrate your people. Support your people. Give them their flowers while they can still smell them.

Mattice Beauty Supply will be open today, Sunday the 16th, from 12:30–5:30 p.m. Other days and hours of operation have yet to be determined.

The store is located at 3906 S 12th St. Tacoma WA. 98405

There is also a GoFundMe to support her family, to help plan and host a celebration of life and give support for outstanding business expenses.

The link is below.

https://tr.ee/XR0de2wS8_

And if you want to honor Mattice moving forward, here are a few ways: