Anyone who knows my dad would easily agree that I am like
him in a lot of ways! I get my stubbornness, my freckles, and, unfortunately, my
very non-petite body from him, among many other things.
Another
thing he has “given” me is my addiction to tea! He and my mom both drink hot
tea every morning. My mom isn’t too much of a breakfast eater though, so that’s
why I don’t really give her the credit here. I remember sitting at the
breakfast table with my dad when I was little and wanting to be just like him.
So at about 5 or 6 years old, my morning routine of a cup of Lipton tea began.
Some of you may shake your heads at that, but there are worse things a six year
old can drink everyday! I drink my tea plain, so the only negative aspect is
the caffeine (and from a dental perspective….staining!), which is slight in
comparison to coffee or soda. To this day, I drink a cup of hot tea every
morning. Occasionally I will drink coffee, (which is something I wasn’t
influenced by either parent to drink, since neither one of them can stand the
taste of coffee) but it’s usually tea.
When my
dad came a few weeks ago to visit, he said he had a present in his carry-on for
me. My mom and I both kind of looked at him funny. She obviously wasn’t behind
this, and he usually doesn’t bring gifts, so we were both curious. He handed me
a box, and inside was a mug with red roses and lightning bolts and the words “Never
underestimate the power of a hissie fit”. I didn’t really know how to react,
because I didn’t know if he was making fun of me or what this was all about.
Then he
explained the true meaning of the words and I really love the mug.
Here is
the story behind it: “Life is all about give and take. But some issues can't be compromised. When
the situation calls for drastic and dramatic measures, you have to draw a line
in the sand, climb up on a soapbox, and protect the hill you're willing to die on.
It's not easy . . . anything worth fighting for never is. But the most noble
thing you can do is stand up for what is right, no matter the cost. But
sometimes your voice can drown amid the roar of the masses. Once in a while you
have to stomp your feet, scream at the top of your lungs, and throw a few
lightning bolts to be heard. Never underestimate the power of a "hissie
fit".”
I would say that this is an
attitude my dad has also given me. I feel like this is how he lives his life.
This also made me start to think
about a lot in my life. Sometimes it really IS necessary to throw a hissie fit.
I also realized that some people in my life have witnessed a lot of these fits,
while others probably have no clue where I stand on some issues. I’m not saying
I think it’s necessary to walk down the street rambling and shouting at
everyone who crosses your path and disagrees with you. However, why do I treat
some significant people in my life like they aren’t important enough to know
how I really feel and where I stand with some issues? I can think of several
people who don’t really understand my life and many aspects of it, because I’ve
never had a deep enough conversation with them to even bring up such issues. On
the other hand, how many people in my life have been beaten to death by me
standing up for what I thought was right when it really wasn’t a big deal at
all? Sometimes I think I should have “picked my battles” and agreed to
disagree. It’s a tricky line, and, when it should be “black and white”, why I
have put so much “gray” in my life?
