It’s no secret that I like food. I really enjoy it. But there are some things I have learned in the last week while traveling: 1. It’s inappropriate to order something like sweet potato crème brûlée and french fries together. I know because my company laughed at me when I did. (Both were delicious. Sorry not sorry). 2. Do not ask where the face may have been on an oyster before you eat it. (Although this is an admirable attempt to overcome the fear of swallowing an oyster via anatomic knowledge, it’s frowned upon.) 3. Really, don’t ask anything about the food. (This includes confirming that when you consume an oyster, you are basically eating a slug – also frowned upon.)

I don’t dislike oysters. However, they’re not my favorite food. I don’t get excited about them or drive out of my way to order them. I have never once in my life been hungry and thought, “Gosh, I would sure love some oysters right now.” Not once. Pizza I have craved. A colorful salad I have craved. Ice cream, coffee, chocolate, grapes – I have craved all these things but never oysters.

To some people, we are oysters. We can feel it in the way they tolerate us. They may not treat us well, but they keep us around. They don’t make us happy and they don’t make us better. We merely satisfy a temporary need of hunger and that seems to be good enough. So, we sit in our cold little shells, afraid to venture out into the world of true culinary brilliance. We tend to tolerate the familiar.

My point is, it’s no fun to feel like an oyster. It’s much more fun to feel like a pizza. If we’re honest, we all enjoy feeling loved, wanted and cared for. We all want to feel important, so find the people who celebrate your quirky combinations, make you laugh and make you feel safe. If you have people in your life who treat you like pizza, don’t take them for granted. Instead, make sure they know that they’re your sweet potato crème brûlée and french fries. And always take care of each other.