The Dawn of a New Day

Friday, April 07, 2006

For those in trial and in need of enlightenment:

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life andhow 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 fightingand struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new onearose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots withwater 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 thecarrots 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 placedit in a bowl.

Turning to her daughter, she asked, "Tell me, what do 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. Thedaughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter thenasked, "What does it mean, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the sameadversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently.

The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, afterbeing subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak.

The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected itsliquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, itsinside became hardened.

The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were inthe boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks onyour door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or acoffee bean?"

8:17 PM
still alive, but not kicking.