Legacy
He was my neighbor.
He lived up the street.
Sometimes he said “Hi”.
One day I saw him
At the corner store.
We walked home
Together.
I said I was upset
With my hair.
I didn’t like it.
He said he liked my hair.
He said it was soft and shiny.
He said it reminded him of
A baby seal he had seen
At the zoo.
He said mine was darker brown,
Almost black,
And longer.
He thought my hair was
Beautiful.
Later that week he died.
It was a drowning accident.
It made me sad.
It wasn’t my fault
But it still made me sad.
A couple of times since then
I thought about what he said.
I guess my hair
Isn’t so bad after all.
No matter the duration of a life, what matters most is its content. We should strive each day to give someone a compliment, because even baby steps will take us to the top of the tallest mountain. It may seem “Pollyanna” but enough complimentary love might just help us heal; ourselves and our world.
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