When we have doubts or difficulties, the elders often guide us and share their wisdom. In this story, a grandmother teaches her granddaughter a simple yet profound lesson during a difficult time in her life. Although the author of this story is unknown, its message resonates with many people because it deals with eternal truths.
The young woman came to her grandmother, who was shocked and did not know her ways. So grandma gave him carrots, eggs and coffee beans. He told the young woman that these objects symbolized three qualities she needed to raise: resilience, confidence and adaptability. These properties allow it to withstand any storm.
Grandma took him to the kitchen, put three pots of water on the stove and boiled them. I put the carrots in the first pot, the eggs in the second pot, and the coffee beans in the third pot and boiled them gently.
After a while, the grandmother turned off the light. I took out the carrots, put them in a bowl, added eggs and finally put the prepared coffee in a cup.
Grandma pointed to each one and said, “Carrots help you see clearly. Eggs energize the mind. And how about coffee? It strengthens your mind.”
He then asked his nephew what he had discovered. The young woman replied, mentioning carrots, eggs and coffee.
The grandmother directed the child to peel the egg shell, feeling the soft veins and revealing the hard belly. Finally, he introduced his grandson to the aroma and taste of coffee. The nephew, curious, asked about the lesson behind it.
Grandma explained to me that each of these substances behaves differently when exposed to the same problem: boiling water. The once strong roots have softened and hardened into the soft egg and what about the coffee beans? They changed the water itself. This story reminds us that adversity shapes us in many ways and that it is our choices that soften, harden or transform our circumstances.
A grandmother asked her granddaughter a thought-provoking question. “When times are tough, are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?”
After thinking carefully, the nephew replied, “Am I like a carrot that looks strong on the outside but wilts under pressure?” Will you lose your strength when faced with life’s challenges? “It reminds me of people who start out strong but become vulnerable when faced with challenges.”
“Or is it like an egg that is pliable at first but hardens when heated?” Has my once flexible heart frozen after a heart attack, financial hardship, or other life challenge? Like people who start with a soft heart but don’t turn around after going through life’s trials.
“Maybe she’s the same on the outside, but she’s turned bitter and rough on the inside and can’t take it anymore?”
Coffee beans, on the other hand, can not only withstand boiling water, but can also transform it. Even under the most difficult conditions, soybeans will take care of themselves and their environment.
We manage even in difficult times. “In the boiling cauldron of life, are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?” Grandma’s questions continued. how about you? Share this story with your loved ones and see how they see themselves!
