Friday, November 25, 2005
Carrots, Eggs and Coffee…
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.
It’s easier to build a child than repair an adult .
May we all be COFFEE.
An oldie but a goodie from Pam and Sally Thanks Gals
Happy Thanksgiving!!!
From Sally and Pam. Thanks for sharing!
Twas the night of Thanksgiving, But I just couldn’t sleep
I tried counting backwards, I tried counting sheep.
The leftovers beckoned - The dark meat and white
But I fought the temptation With all of my might.
Tossing and turning with anticipation
The thought of a snack became infatuation.
So, I raced to the kitchen, flung open the door
And gazed at the fridge, full of goodies galore.
I gobbled up turkey and buttered potatoes,
Pickles and carrots, beans and tomatoes.
I felt myself swelling so plump and so round,
‘Til all of a sudden, I rose off the ground.
I crashed through the ceiling, floating into the sky
With a mouthful of pudding and a handful of pie.
But, I managed to yell as I soared past the trees....
Happy eating to all - Pass the cranberries, please.
May your stuffing be tasty, May your turkey be plump.
May your potatoes ‘n gravy Have nary a lump,
May your yams be delicious May your pies take the prize,
May your Thanksgiving dinner Stay off of your thighs.
Yum!
I had charged the batteries for the camera and was ready to take lots of pictures. I took one of Wes, Deb, and Jazz in the kitchen and then sat spellbound as the dishes began to appear on the table!
What a great meal!
Jay’s brined and roasted turkey, candied sweet potatoes, and dressing made with onions, apples, and raisins was to die for.
Debra’s asparagus with hollandaise sauce, the pumpkin roll, pumpkin pie, apple pie, the wild mushroom soup, the flaky rolls, the baby red-skin potatoes with butter and parsley, and relish dishes started the mouth watering even before the first bite.
Her beautifully set table with fall flowers and the sparkling fruit juices in wine glasses was a welcoming sight to invite an empty tummy to dine.
But a surprise was in store--the apple pie crust was made by eldest son --Wes. I have never made a good pie crust so I depend on ready made products. But Wes turned out a crust from scratch better than I have ever made. This was only the second time he has made a crust. Then he proceeded to create a gravy from the pan drippings we brought down that completed a delicious meal.
While consuming my plate full I kept thinking yes I want seconds of this and seconds of that knowing full well that I would be too full to wiggle if I finished the first helping. I am here to testify that the turkey was the only thing stuffed this Thanksgiving!
For us it was part of our family and Richard to partake, as they say, of bounties this year. Hope your’s was as great!