Raised With Natural Hair

I remember growing up with natural hair all the way up until 11. I have very wavy 3b hair. It got to the point that it grew past my shoulders. However, in order to get it straightened I had to endure the devil's creation: THE HOT COMB!!! AHHHHHHH! I'm sure most of you ladies reading this know exactly what I'm talking about. I completely despised the hot comb and begged my mom to let me get a perm like my other female friends. She wanted me to grow up embracing my natural hair but I couldn't take all the twist and turns that came with it. My first perm was the mild Creme of Nature relaxer. My mom decided to have me sent to a hair salon to get it professionally done. I remember having this very bone straight hair that flowed among my shoulders. It was just beautiful!
As the years went buy my hair continued to stay healthy because I constantly kept up with my hair appointments. Then i went through the phase of color and relaxing (but that's another story). Then my hair started to thin but still continued to grow. I started to view my hair in another light. I thought to myself 'this isn't the full potential of my hair. I know that my hair can be more beautiful than it already is.' Now that I am natural I have found that true beauty. My hair is now thicker than ever and have beautiful coils of curls. I would say it is now more so between 3c-4a being that it has transformed over time due to all the processing I've done to it. My question is, has anyone actually been natural their whole life and how was that experience for you? After seeing you friends with relaxers, did it teach you to appreciate our hair more or betray your natural hair for the straighter look?