In studying the lives of people of greatness, so often,a common thread seen is adversity and how they responded to it. When asked about the many obstacles, they said adversity has made them stronger, wiser, and tougher. It has given them endurance, patience and stamina. For example, Abraham Lincoln our 16th President, born in poverty, ran for office eight times and lost, failed in business twice and suffered a nervous breakdown. He could have quit but didn’t.
So often we want to save our children from life’s struggles. We do not
want our children to have to face adversity, but adversities are going to
come. The answer will depend on how we respond…..
A carrot, an egg and a cup of 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?”
Be wise parents, have a great cup of coffee.
Ann Izadi Assistant Principal – K-2 , Duncan Creek Elementary
Thank you Ann Izadi for letting me post this article.
