Now and then, we could all use some sound counsel. And many of us seek solace from our grandparents when attempting to endure a difficult time in life. In this story, widely circulated online, a grandma imparts some specific knowledge to her granddaughter.

Even though the author of this essay seems to be unknown, everyone can benefit from their sage advice.

A young woman visits her grandma as the story opens. She needs help since she is overwhelmed by how her life turns out. In response, her grandmother brings a carrot, eggs, and coffee.

“A young woman visited her grandmother and described how difficult her life had been. She wanted to give up since she was unsure of how she would survive. She had had enough of struggling and battling. It appeared that a fresh one emerged after one issue was resolved.

She was led into the kitchen by her grandmother. She put three pots on a high fire, each full of water. The pots quickly came to a boil. She put carrots in the first. She put eggs in the second one and ground coffee beans in the final. She did not say anything as they boiled.

“In about twenty minutes, she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She then pulled the eggs out and put them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her granddaughter, she asked, ‘Tell me, what do you see?’ ‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.”

“She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it.

After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The granddaughter then asked, “What does it mean, Grandmother?” Her grandmother explained that 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 boiling water, it softened and weakened.

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 changed the water.

‘Which are you?’ she asked her granddaughter. ‘When adversity knocks on your door, 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 with pain 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 the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship, or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and a hardened heart?”

“Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor of your life.

If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the darkest hours and trials are their greatest, do you elevate to another level?”

This story made me reflect on which thing I am when facing a challenge. Which are you? A carrot, an egg, or coffee?

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