My dad tells stories to illustrate how to make life decisions. Of all his stories, I love this story of perseverance and courage. It’s a unique look at a person’s ability to fight through weakness and find might. Everyone can gather strength from this story.
During college, Dad ate his meals in the university cafeteria. With all its choices, there are always a few that don’t measure up. In this particular cafeteria, my dad’s overlooked choice was beets. After a few months of seeing those beets, Dad decided to try them. Still, he didn’t like those beets.
Most people at this juncture wouldn’t eat beets again. Simple as that.
Not my father. Dad decided to beat the beets. He mustered up his courage and ate beets every day until he found something to like about them.
Why go to the problem of learning to like an unpopular food? This is the part of the story I love. Something so simple became a challenge of his perseverance. The beets symbolized learning how to work through something Dad wasn’t used to.
Often we are given things we do not like. A strong person can move beyond such simple feelings, face a challenge, and develop a finer appreciation. Because Dad learned to like beets, we all can conquer our challenges, no matter how small.
Here’s a shout out to my dad, Haakon Andreasen. Keep eating those beets!
I’m Elsa Glover, and that’s my perspective.
