Challenge No. 1 / PARENTS

Describe traits that you think you’ve gotten from your parents. How you look, how you act, weird idiosyncrasies, learned and genetic.

I find it humorous how much more applicable this becomes the older I get. I just commented yesterday that I was turning in to my mother. All my life I have never been in to sweets. When birthdays rolled around and I was asked what kind of cake I wanted, my answer would be, "None, I want veggie squares." (veggie squares are delicious by the way, they are like cold pizza slices with ranch dressing instead of tomato sauce, and minus the cheese) Anyway, I have always gotten on my mom for buying nothing but sweets when she goes grocery shopping. Instead of getting the basics, like eggs, meat, and cheese, she piles her cart with cookies, cake mix, and chips. She's been like this for as long as I can remember, and now that I am 31, I have developed the same type of sweet tooth. I seriously have to refrain from piling junk food in to my cart! Currently, I have self control, but I never had to have it in the past. As I write this, the cravings are taking over and I am literally having to convince myself not to go in to the kitchen and open a candy bar for breakfast. Healthy.

When it comes to genetics, there is another thing that I inherited not only from my mother, but from my grandmother as well-all three of us have a small brown freckle in our eye. I love this. People comment on it all the time, but not in a negative way. I get told constantly how beautiful my eyes are, as does my mom.

I don't look much like my parents, but when I am mad, I look JUST like my mom and act JUST like my dad. I am also tall like my dad, while my mom is a shorty, about 5'2. Unfortunately for my brothers, they got her height. My youngest brother teases me all the time by accusing me of stealing all of the good family genes. Little does he know, he has the kindest heart of anyone I have ever met, which although it may or may not be genetic, in my opinion, is the best trait one could ask for.

Both of my parents have very kind hearts. My mom is so accepting and forgiving. She raised us without prejudice and taught us from a young age that God loves everyone. Because of her, I don't have an ounce of prejudice in me and I cannot understand, no matter how hard I try, people who do.

My dad is sensitive. He may come across as having a hard exterior, but deep to the core, he is a gentle soul with a tender heart. I have seen my dad cry on many occasions, probably not something he would want me writing about, but it's one of the things I love about him so I am going to write it anyway. He likes helping people who are in need, family is important to him, and he is deeply affected by the injustices of the world....as am I.

Three passions have governed my life:
The longings for love,
the search for knowledge,
And unbearable pity for ...
... the suffering of [humankind].
Love brings ecstasy and relieves loneliness.
In the union of love I have seen
In a mystic miniature the prefiguring vision
Of the heavens that saints and poets have imagined.
With equal passion I have sought knowledge.
I have wished to understand the hearts of [people].
I have wished to know why the stars shine.
Love and knowledge led upwards to the heavens,
But always pity brought me back to earth;
Cries of pain reverberated in my heart
Of children in famine, of victims tortured
And of old people left helpless.
I long to alleviate the evil, but I cannot,
And I too suffer.
This has been my life; I found it worth living.

-Bertrand Russell

So this sums up Challenge No. 1, what I inherited from my parents. If one thing can be said, it's that I love them. They are both beautiful people that have taught me so much about forgiveness, self respect, and love. I wouldn't trade that, or them, for anything.