A girl complained to her father about life and how things are so hard. She didn't know how she was going to make it, and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time; as soon as one problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen, filled three pots with water, and placed each on a fire, bringing them to a boil. He then placed carrots i n one, eggs in the next, and in the last he placed coffee. The daughter waited impatiently, wondering what he was doing. In about 20 minutes he turned off the burners, fished out the carrots and the egg and placed them in a bowl, then ladled out the coffee and put it in a cup.
"What does it mean, father?"
The father explained the different reactions to the same adversity of boiling water. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting, but came out soft and weak. The egg had been fragile, but became hardened by the experience.
The coffee was unique. After it was in the boiling water, it changed and flavored the water.
"Which are you?" he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?"
From the Jewish Diabetes Association Connection
