I recently received the following short story from my son about life, and the choices you can make. It has so impressed me with its simple yet powerful wisdom that I felt it was worthy of passing on to every one who finds himself in need. I do not know the source which for the time being, remains unknown. It is reproduced exactly as I received it;
< >
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each one on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and in the last one she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
After about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. She then pulled the eggs out and placed in another bowl, then ladled the coffee out and placed it into a third bowl. Turning to her daughter she asked, “Tell me what you see?”
“Carrots, eggs and coffee” the daughter replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked her to take an egg, break it and remove the shell. She observed it to be hard boiled. Finally, the mother asked her to sip the coffee. After sipping it, she smile as she enjoyed the rich aroma of the coffee.
Puzzled, the daughter asked: “What does all this mean, mother?”
Her mother explained that this is a lesson in life. Each of these objects had faced the same adversity, boiling water and each had reacted differently.
----The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but after being subjected to boiling water came out softened and weak.
----The egg was fragile and needed the outer shell to protect its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, it became hardened and dry.
----The ground coffee beans were unique however, for after they were in the boiling water, they actually changed the water into something much more pleasing.
After a short pause, she looked at her daughter and slowly asked her:
A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed that as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each one on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs and in the last one she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil, without saying a word.
After about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished out the carrots and placed them in a bowl. She then pulled the eggs out and placed in another bowl, then ladled the coffee out and placed it into a third bowl. Turning to her daughter she asked, “Tell me what you see?”
“Carrots, eggs and coffee” the daughter replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked her to take an egg, break it and remove the shell. She observed it to be hard boiled. Finally, the mother asked her to sip the coffee. After sipping it, she smile as she enjoyed the rich aroma of the coffee.
Puzzled, the daughter asked: “What does all this mean, mother?”
Her mother explained that this is a lesson in life. Each of these objects had faced the same adversity, boiling water and each had reacted differently.
----The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but after being subjected to boiling water came out softened and weak.
----The egg was fragile and needed the outer shell to protect its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, it became hardened and dry.
----The ground coffee beans were unique however, for after they were in the boiling water, they actually changed the water into something much more pleasing.
After a short pause, she looked at her daughter and slowly asked her:
“When adversity knocks on your door, how will you respond?
Will you be a Carrot, an Egg or a Coffee Bean?”
Will you be a Carrot, an Egg or a Coffee Bean?”
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment