Grey Hairs

I have stopped thinking about my grey hairs for sometime now. However, a recent innocent comment from a relative about his grey hairs getting numerous brought it all back again. Two years ago or so, I can count five to seven grey hairs on each side of my head and similarly on the top. There must have been several more at the back as well. I would pull out most of it despite remembering old folks in Bohol saying that it will increase your grey hairs if you pull them out.

Nowadays, there are just too many to pull out that I do not bother with it anymore. I have accepted the fact that there will be more of them grey hairs as I grow older. Really?! Or is it because superstition had prevailed over logic. As my older son will say, "Whatever!"

Pulling out grey hairs from our father's head was a lunchtime ritual all of us siblings have to do when we were young. In tandem with it is the pulling out of hairs from his chin. These mundane tasks were always done by pairs and we all have to take turns, so, there is no escape. Generally, I disliked doing it more than anything else.

Even up to now, Father did not really have a lot of grey hairs. But two of his brothers and their mother all have their heads covered with grey hairs. When spending weekends in Baclayon (we were living then in Tagbilaran) I remember one instance, as a small boy, my Nana asked me to pull out grey hairs from her head. I thought, this is easy so I started pulling out hairs in rapid succession. I was scolded. She told me that what she had meant were those very short grey hairs as these causes her head to itch. And that was not an easy thing to do as her head is covered with grey hairs!

I doubt that I can ask my sons to do that lunchtime ritual on me when they get old enough to do so. We now live in different times and a very different environment. But it would be nice to happen as it will bring back to me memories with my father. Although I said I disliked doing it then, but the memory of it was not forgotten. Why? I would like to think that during those short regular moments, a father and son(s) shared quality time together, which, as that credit card advertisement will say, is priceless.