Today I am grateful for beets.
Beets taught me an important lesson in gratitude some years ago.
My paren--ahem, Santa traditionally put an orange in the toe of my stocking each year. I like oranges just fine, but I never really ate the one from my stocking, so one year I asked my Mo--Santa to put something else in the toe. I woke up Christmas morning and when I got to the toe of my stocking I found the can of beets pictured below. Now at the time I didn't like beets, and at first was a little annoyed with the smirks on my parents faces. But I very quickly understood the message that Santa was trying to tell me, so I've kept that can of beets on my desk ever since as a reminder to be grateful.
Another layer was added to this story, when my parents recounted the story to my paternal grandparents as a way to tease me a few years later. My grandpa commented that he used to get an orange in his stocking every year as a kid too. My grandfather grew up on a farm and he and his family ate almost exclusively what they grew. They didn't grow oranges so they didn't have them very often so they were a very special treat for him and his siblings.
In the past year, I discovered that I actually really enjoy beets when I tried fresh ones over the summer. I still thought I didn't like canned beets but I bought a new can to re-test the other day (the can on my desk expired many years ago) and just opened it tonight. Turns out I like canned beets too.
Beets have taught me a lot and they always remind me to be grateful. And as my dad always says, "You can't beat a beet."
Beets taught me an important lesson in gratitude some years ago.
My paren--ahem, Santa traditionally put an orange in the toe of my stocking each year. I like oranges just fine, but I never really ate the one from my stocking, so one year I asked my Mo--Santa to put something else in the toe. I woke up Christmas morning and when I got to the toe of my stocking I found the can of beets pictured below. Now at the time I didn't like beets, and at first was a little annoyed with the smirks on my parents faces. But I very quickly understood the message that Santa was trying to tell me, so I've kept that can of beets on my desk ever since as a reminder to be grateful.
Another layer was added to this story, when my parents recounted the story to my paternal grandparents as a way to tease me a few years later. My grandpa commented that he used to get an orange in his stocking every year as a kid too. My grandfather grew up on a farm and he and his family ate almost exclusively what they grew. They didn't grow oranges so they didn't have them very often so they were a very special treat for him and his siblings.
In the past year, I discovered that I actually really enjoy beets when I tried fresh ones over the summer. I still thought I didn't like canned beets but I bought a new can to re-test the other day (the can on my desk expired many years ago) and just opened it tonight. Turns out I like canned beets too.
Beets have taught me a lot and they always remind me to be grateful. And as my dad always says, "You can't beat a beet."
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