Last weekend, I took my 92-year-old dad to the mall to pick out a new pair of shoes. After we finished shopping, we stopped by the food court for lunch. We grabbed a table beside a teenager whose hair looked like a living rainbow—bright spikes of green, red, blue, and orange shining under the lights.
Dad noticed him instantly. He didn’t stare with disapproval, just quiet curiosity—the kind only a lifetime of stories can give someone. The teen, catching the glances, finally smirked and asked in a playful, slightly defensive tone:
“Sir, haven’t you ever done anything wild in your life?”
I braced myself. My dad may be 92, but his comebacks could cut sharper than my fork. Instead, he gently set down his food, smiled, and replied with something none of us expected.
“When I was your age,” he said, “I didn’t have colorful hair… but I tried to make the world brighter with kindness and respect.”
The food court noise seemed to fade for a moment.
Dad continued softly, “Your colors are great. Just remember—the brightest thing you’ll ever share with the world is your character.”
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