A Carrot An Egg and A Cup of Coffee This is good read it
By Lakota12
@Lakota12 (42600)
United States
April 18, 2007 11:15pm CST
...You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
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 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 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 she placed ground
coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the
carrots out
and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a
bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her
daughter,
she asked, "Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she 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 the daughter to take an
egg
and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled
egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter
smiled as
she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, "What does it mean,
mother?"
Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same
adversity:
boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard,
and
unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it
softened
and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had
protected
its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its
inside
became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they
were
in the boiling water, they had changed the water.
"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your
door,
how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?"
Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with
pain and
adversity, do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?
Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the
heat? Did
I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship
or
some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look
the
same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and
hardened
heart?
Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water,
the very
circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases
the
fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their
worst,
you get better and change the situation around you.
When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest, do you
elevate
yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot,
an
egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make
you
strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you
happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything;
they just
make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest
future
will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life
until
you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling.
Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone
around
you is crying.
You might want to send this message to those people who mean something to
you (I
JUST DID); to those who have touched your life in one way or another; to
those
who make you smile when you really need it; to those who make you see the
brighter side of things when you are really down; to those whose
friendship you
appreciate; to those who are so meaningful in your life.
It's easier to build a child than repair an adult. This is so true.
May we all be COFFEE.
Ask for what you want and be prepared to get it.
- Maya Angelou
4 people like this
6 responses
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
20 Apr 07
Quite amazing. I know Oprah loves Maya and I have seen her on TV she is a very insightful woman. Thanks for sharing.
2 people like this
@flowerchilde (12529)
• United States
20 Apr 07
..this is so true! And also so true it is easier to build a (happy well adjusted) child than repair an adult.. That's so important..
:))
@TheGreatWhiteBuffalo (4822)
• United States
20 Apr 07
I need a fork for the carrots and to rinse off the egg. Along with a chair and a table and we'll have lunch, can I pour you another cup of that coffee? ;)
I Love it,
+X (Christ Crossed) xO (Kisses and Hugs)
1 person likes this
@dream2night (624)
• Latvia
19 Apr 07
I always love to read your topics. This is amayzing. Thank you! I want to be coffee been too ..... I believe that hard times make us stronger, smarter and better, we just need to learn the lesson and understand that sometimes bad times make us creative and gives us many possibilities...
@Aphroditei_5279 (2465)
• Philippines
20 Apr 07
I have tears in my eyes Lakota..Sniff.. and I wanted to thank you for this beautiful post. I must admit especially this last four years. I could compare myself to the carrots and the eggs. To face adversity especially separation, makes you so low and after so hard to the world. YOu just don't want to live anymore. But because of some very supportive friends, my family and especially my daughter. I can say I'm like coffee now. I turned my past trials to good experiences and new stepping stones for my new life. And my goal now is to make my surrounding happy so I can be happy to with myself. I love your post Lakota. A very warm thank you. Keep up the good works!! And thanks for the support too. (^^,)
@Aphroditei_5279 (2465)
• Philippines
21 Apr 07
Thank you Lakota! Your post made me cry, yeah, but it made me stronger too!! And I'm glad to have you as a friend! (^^,)