I hate coconut water with a burning passion.

This may come off as a wildly random and minute item to hate, especially when considering that there is an ocean the size of Texas full of harrowing events and controversial ideas that I could better focus my energies on. However, it is exactly that: an endless stream of grim news and information. 

That constant stream of somber situations and information floods from everywhere I look, from social media to the conversations I have with my friends. Even so, it is in that same stream of information that I have come to appreciate those seemingly random and small things.

I have come to appreciate the small items that I passionately love. I think of my—moderately—small obsession with collecting stickers, which is simply exemplified by the plethora of random and illogical stickers on my binder. I love the surprisingly challenging games of I-spy I play on my binder with my friends that I have begun to associate with those stickers.

I love the, arguably, smaller and sometimes stranger objects I obsess over. I think of items like my vast and ever-growing collection of whimsical earrings that I have loved collecting and wearing throughout the years. Even my never-ending love for sweaters: a piece of my outfits that I find I can’t seem to see myself going without. My closet, lined with bursts of warmth and color, illustrates to all that walk in my love for the simple staple of the cold.

I have come to appreciate the seemingly inconsequential moments I spend with those around me. I cherish the moments when I can just sit there with them, doing nothing more than listening to music. I cherish the moments when we get to talk about nothing and everything all at once. I cherish the moments when we wishfully imagine what our futures could be like. I cherish those moments—no matter how small they may seem.

Even for the strange, pointless things I passionately hate, a small part of me is still grateful for them. I think of my hatred for the love triangle trope; as much as I hate that the main character seemingly always gets back with the original person, which in my opinion always seems to be the worse of the two options, I can appreciate it for how entertaining it can be—even if it is incredibly frustrating. 

I think of my burning hatred for coconut water. Although my hatred for the taste of the water burns bright, I can still appreciate the coconut from which it came from—blessing me with a seemingly limitless array of delicious dishes and desserts.

So, although it is true that I could be better off focusing my energy on grim situations, or even just more important everyday tasks, I instead choose to focus my energy on the things I feel passionately about: whether it be something I passionately love or something small that I frivolously hate.