"Both!"

It’s a new school year. Many things are new. New clothes for one. New school supplies. And I have a new beard. My name badge still carries a picture of beardless me from last year.

A second-grader stops me as I pass his table in the dining commons. “Mr. Weller,” he pipes up, “you look different.”

“Oh,” I test him, “in what way?”

“You have a beard,” he says almost accusatorily.

I see him eyeing my name badge, glancing at my face, looking again at the badge. “Which way do you like best?” I ask, maybe a little apprehensive of his response.

He does a little more silent comparison, glancing back and forth, then boldly proclaims, “Both!”

I’m relieved. A mom nearby says, “Teach my husband to answer that wisely.”