I laughed for the first time in weeks. “Are you saying I’m nature’s disco ball?”
“I’m saying you’re perfect the way you are,” she replied, squeezing my hand. “Some people just can’t see that.”
She stopped walking and turned to face me.
“Johnny, you spent 20 years trying to build a perfect future. Maybe it’s time to start living in the perfect present.”
Looking back now, maybe Elise did me a favor with that bottle of floor cleaner. Not because she was right about my appearance, but because she helped me realize something important: there’s a difference between letting yourself go and simply becoming a different version of yourself.
These days, I still have my shiny head. But I also have someone who looks at me like I’m the most interesting man in the room. Someone who loves running with me on Sunday mornings and trying new recipes on Wednesday nights.
Someone who sees me. REALLY SEES ME. And smiles.
Last week, Winona and I were cleaning out my garage when we found that bottle of floor cleaner. She picked it up, read the note, and smiled. “Should we keep it?”
I took it from her hands and tossed it in the trash.
“Nah! Some things aren’t meant to shine. They’re meant to grow.”
