James, a dedicated lawyer, gave his 15-year-old son, Dylan, a life of privilege—great schools, new tech, and family trips. But Dylan’s entitled attitude surfaced one day when he yelled at a bakery worker, prompting James to teach him about kindness. After school, James stopped near a bakery to take a work call about a complex case at his firm. Dylan, hungry and restless, asked to grab food inside. Focused on his call, James gave him some money, reminded him to avoid peanuts due to his allergy, and told him to go ahead.
At the bakery, Dylan barely looked at the worker, Mia, who was partially blind but greeted him warmly. “Two lemon bars and a berry smoothie,” he said, engrossed in his phone. Mia prepared his order, but her vision issues caused a mix-up—she included a plain bar instead of a second lemon one. Dylan snapped. “Are you kidding? I said lemon! Can’t you get it right?” Mia apologized, fixing the order with a coworker’s help, but Dylan threw cash on the counter and left. James, who had followed him inside, saw it all and was shocked by his son’s rudeness.
In the car, Dylan complained about the “clueless” staff, unaware his dad had witnessed it. James stayed quiet, then announced that Dylan’s summer plans had changed. Instead of a trip to London, he’d work part-time at a café for a month. “You’re not serious!” Dylan protested, but James gave him a choice: work or lose his gaming console and freedom. Grumbling, Dylan agreed. At the café, his boss, Ms. Patel, was tough. When Dylan forgot to omit pickles from a sandwich, she scolded him and let him go, leaving him stunned.
That night, Dylan came home humbled. “I shouldn’t have yelled at Mia, Dad. Her job’s tough, and I was mean.” James encouraged him to apologize to her directly. The next day, Dylan returned to the bakery, apologized sincerely, and took a part-time job there. He and Mia became friends, and he was amazed by her pottery skills despite her vision struggles. When Mia shared that surgery could fix her eyes but was too expensive, Dylan asked James if they could help. James, proud of his son’s change, agreed.
After Mia’s surgery, James helped her land a job at a local pottery studio, where she thrived. Dylan learned that kindness matters more than privilege, and the community gained a more compassionate young man.
