STORY: Reap Dividends on Your Character

Coleridge breathed heavily as he walked through the hall of the hospital. He lowered his head as he walked past the window to his dad's room and was barely able to lift his gaze to meet his father's eyes as he went in.

"Hey dad."

"Coleridge. My boy. Dying has the hidden benefit of getting to see you every day."

"Oh, uh," He glanced up and was surprised to remember how his dad was always happy to see him. "I would have come to see ya more... you know..." His answer trailed off.

Coleridge pulled the usual chair up beside the bed and sat. Coleridge was searching for a different topic to introduce when his father said, "I've been wondering..." His father was always trying to get Coleridge to meet his eyes more. "Is it because of money stuff, Son? I've always thought we should be closer."

"Uh... uhh..." He stuttered. His eyes darted to anything other than his dads'.

After a long silence his father said, "You know your brother hasn't come to see me since I've been here. You've come every day."

Coleridge lifted his eyes to meet his dad's, questioning.

His father reached for and clasped the top of Coleridge's hand. "Do you not know how proud I am of you?"

"You're-- you're... why would you be proud of me, dad?" Coleridge pulled his hand away and looked down at his fidgety hands. "You gave me just as much money as you gave Bradley and now he's multiplied it and lives in that beautiful loft and pays his bills just off of his dividends. I wasted all you gave me in a matter of years and have to ask Bradley to help me pay for my kids' soccer uniforms."

"There may have been ways," his dad interjected, "to be a little more discerning with your money, but--"

"I could have invested if I had been smart. I could have grown your money and help pay for your bills-- Bradley said he'd cover your bills to stay here one more week, by the way."

"You asked him about that?" His father asked.

"Yeah, just got off the phone with him." Coleridge shook his head as if it were a humiliating experience. "Even now he tries to give me investing advice. I don't think he realizes compounding interest on zero dollars equals zero point zero zero dollars."

"Coleridge. Look at me, Son." He reached for Coleridge's hand again and waited until Coleridge fully held his eyes. "Son, I am so, so proud of you."

Coleridge scowled and shook his head. "I squandered everything you gave me."

His father took a stern tone. "Come closer son. Now, I need you to hear this." Coleridge leaned closer, hesitantly. His father put his hand under Coleridge's chin and directed Coleridge's eyes back to his. "Maybe Bradley was a little wiser with how he invested the money if we're worried about money. But you, my son, invested fully into people. Remember when you lent your friend $20,000 for his first car?"

"You told me he might not value it, and sure enough he wrecked it the same summer, and never paid me back, dad."

"That's when you decided to trust my advice, remember? But you never stopped investing in people. You paid the hospital bills for that lady friend of yours, remember?"

"It made things weird between us and she still died, dad."

"And the 20k wedding ring for your wife. She had never seen anything like that before."

"Yeah, like the biggest bait and switch ever. Now I can barely take her out to a nice dinner."

"Son, I gave you two a lot of money, but I hope you can see I gave you both far more than that. And I need you to know: you have been a far better steward with the rest of it than your brother."

"What do you mean, dad!? Everything you gave me is gone!"

"Coleridge, were you not watching me at all? Every interaction with your mother was an investment in you guys."

"Dad, you couldn't help that she had all that bi-polar and stuff going on."

"Son, you have been compounding in character, since then. I see how every lesson you learned from me (and they WERE sacrifices for me) you are putting into action in your marriage and with your kids. And I've seen how it really does compound incredibly like that in you. When you learn to become humble, I've seen you learn more. I've seen when you see the payoff of patience, you have just become more patient. When you learned to be open handed, God trained you that you can trust him."

"I don't know if I feel I can trust Him, dad. I--"

"Coleridge! Listen to me. If you have ever doubted this, I see you as FAR richer than your brother. Bradley is so guarded that he won't let any woman, or anyone for that matter, get their hands on his money. He doesn't trust anyone to spend it in a way he wouldn't think is the best 'investment'. And he definitely does not trust God with it. I see giving him that money as my biggest mistake in raising him."

Coleridge looked at his father, his face contorting, wanting to believe his father. "I just don't get how can you see me as rich? I live in a shitty duplex."

His father tilted his head, eyes beginning to glisten. "Coleridge. Son. Do you see ME as poor?"

"Well, dad, I don't know... I wish you had money to pay for your medical bills at least. I still think the bank should have insured the money when they let your account get hacked."

"Coleridge!" His father sat up carefully and rotated his feet to hang off the bed to face his son. There is nowhere I'd rather be than talking to you, my boy. The highlight of my days is always your phone call. I cherish hearing your heart to serve, and your humble questions, how you always listen to what I say, about your marriage, your work, or raising your kids and I know you are going to put what I've learned into practice. You would go and 'invest' it and I loved watching how you and me and all of them would reap the dividends. Seeing that has made me so, so rich. I cannot take money with me. But if we can take anything-- Son, I am proud of how I've invested in you."

Coleridge was very quiet. Looking at his own lap. He was starting to let himself believe it.

"Coleridge, my son, you are my best investment. You have reinvested all of it and reinvested the compound interest from that which has made you triple the man I had only glimpsed I could be."

Coleridge took a deep shuddering breath and looked up at his dad. He knew his dad well enough to see in his face that he meant all of it.

And for the first time since he had started spending his dad's money, Coleridge looked at his dad without guilt.

"You've done so well, my son. I am so proud of who you are. I have not wasted a single thing on you. You are my best investment."

---

Are you open to humbly learning lessons that can become dividends that you can invest in the future growth of your character?

Raw Spoon, July 2, 2025