DEAR ABBY: My aunt "Stacey" has what they call salt-and-pepper-colored hair. We have suggested many times that she dye it, but she doesn't want to have to keep up with it. Recently, someone asked her 14-year-old daughter if that was her grandmother!
Aunt Stacey will be coming for a visit soon and we want to surprise her with a hair dye. How should we go about it? -- KRISTY IN NEW JERSEY
DEAR KRISTY: Don't do it, or the people who get surprised could be you and whoever else has concocted this hair-brained scheme. Not all women want to color their hair. Some would prefer to avoid the expense, and others become allergic to the hair dye. My advice is to appreciate your aunt for the person she is and forget about trying to change her image.