something meaningful - long

[Guest guest]

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

friendships you appreciate; To those who are so meaningful in your life.

If you don't send it, you will just miss out on the opportunity To brighten

someone's day with this message!

May we all be COFFEE!!!!

--

People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don't

believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people

who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can't find

them, make them.

- Bernard Shaw