Day 38: Have coffee on me

I've had the good fortune to have had coffee- considering the insane state of my schedule- with some old, good friends lately and its been a good time of sharing, catching up, gripping, encouragement and plain ole talking absolute crap. Some of them are going through a pretty good time in their lives, others not so good. Some at new beginnings, others at poignant endings. And some, facing tough, tough decisions amidst the swirl of propaganda, the miasma of fear and the pervasiveness of unknowing.

To you, you know who you are, this story is for you.

Carrots, Eggs & Coffee
A story by Mary sullivan

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 if as soon as one problem was solved a new one arose. Her mother took her to the kitchen. The mother filled three pots with water.In the first, she placed carrots; the second she placed eggs; in the thrid she placed ground coffee. She let them sit and boil without saying a word. About twenty minutes later, 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 said, "Tell me what you see."
"Carrots, eggs, and coffee," she replied.

Mum brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did, and noted that they felt soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg inside.Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The daughter then asked, "So, what's the point, mother?"

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity - boiling water - but 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 center. But, after sitting through the boiling water, its insides had become 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.