An article of enlightenment

----- A carrot, an egg, and a cup of coffee...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 howthings were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to makeit and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. Itseemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water andplaced each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the firstshe placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last sheplaced ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying aword.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished thecarrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out andplaced 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 didand noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter totake an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed thehard 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 doesit mean, mother?"Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the sameadversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went instrong, 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 aftersitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boilingwater, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on yourdoor, 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 withpain 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 theheat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, afinancial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened andstiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter andtough with astiff 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, itreleases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when thingsare 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 youa carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to makeyou strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make youhappy.

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.