Lemonade

My Dad was an accountant for the IRS. The job that everyone from my elementary school teach to the pastor at our church respected and feared at the same time. There was always this elusiveness about his duties, which I could tell from my parents dinner conversation, were very stressful. He was responsible for looking into shady transactions and sometimes be the one to deliver a pink slip to a fellow co worker. He was an auditor. "The bad guy", and that so wasn't the person that everyone who knew him, was. His daily uniform consisted of a well made suit, suspenders, tie. Overcoat with a matching hat, and Ray Ban sunglasses. Lol. He was the type of Dad that was super efficient and crushed on by too many of my girl friends growing up. Now what's a fun loving kind of guy like my Dad doing with a job that will make people deal with him with the same care as a ruthless politician?

Well, providing for his steak-and-shrimp eating children, fashionable wife, and impressive lifestyle could be the reason. "Why else would he cut off his afro, enroll at Maryland University, and give up his passion for drawing for any other reason?" I thought to myself. After a long day at his office, there was one thing that he had to have, on stand-by at all times.

Lemonade. He was a fanatic. And before my brother and I could even think about playing with our friends outside, our watching music videos, we had to make sure that there was a pitcher of lemonade made. Some Dad's looked forward to the couch and remote, some a stiff drink, for mine all he needed was a glass with some ice. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the bitter sweet concoction that I was forced to keep in stock, but growing up I didn't understand what the big deal if we ran out. I was tempted to ask him, but cautioned myself, seeing how there is no "short" answer for anything when it came to my Dad. But after years of mixing the perfect amount of water, minute maid mix, and sugar together I couldn't wait any longer. So I asked. Seeing that my Dad is no longer with me, I wish I could provide a nice video clip of him breaking it all down, but instead, I'll give you a brief synopsis. 

Its about life. Taking something that has such an unbearable effect [like a lemon when eaten] and adding the right circumstances [water and sugar] to make it something that you can enjoy [lemonade!]. 

Subconsciously I've always been an "upper". A person who treats life with enthusiasm and respect. I believe things happen for a reason, and try to rationalize the "haves" and "have not-s" in my life so they make sense for me. If I complain about a situation then chances are I'm thinking about the solution in the next 10 minutes. When I think about life, it is a lot like lemonade and luckily for me, I'm had plenty of practice to get the formula right. In between losing close friends, being career less, and relocating to the country, I feel like it's been raining lemons! But I keep the faith by reaching out to people, sharing stories as I go, and continue to look at my life optimistically with plans of progress in the future. 

I'm gathering my lemons in my basket and taking back to the secret layer of my mind to make the mixture I know too well. Using what I know now, from other botched batches, it's easier to find the brighter side of my situation. I am relieved to say on Tuesday I will be sipping my glass of lemonade at Coki Point looking out on the Atlantic. My dream is no longer deferred :)

Aaaahhhhh... sweet!