This sweet story from Myrah Torres Moran brings back the immediacy and pure pleasure of loving Prince as a kid. Thanks to Molly Humphrey for passing it on.

Prince was one of the artists I fell in love with back in my childhood (early 80s), and I loved EVERYTHING about him. He was larger than life—his voice, his music, his style. When I learned he passed today, a memory came rushing back.

I was sitting in the back of my dad’s Caddy. He’d just picked me up from school, where I’d gotten into a fight with a boy (I was defending myself but I got in big trouble, nonetheless). My dad argued my case with the teacher and later told me he was proud of me for sticking up for myself. He’d actually seen the entire thing play out as he was walking up.

But I was embarrassed, crying and still shaken up. So to settle me down, he did the one thing he knew I loved (and still love to this day): He put the windows down and turned the music on LOUD so I could feel the wind in my face and sing.

We took a detour and hopped on A1A to cruise the beach. The song on the radio was Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy. My dad said, “Could it be more perfect?” I’ll never forget that.

“And if the elevator tries to bring you down…”