Posted by TerryS (24.24.79.72) on November 26, 2001 at 12:07:05:
"IT'S WHAT'S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS"Once upon a time a daughter complained to her father that her life wasmiserable and that she didn't know how she was going to make it.She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just asone problem was solved, another one soon followed.Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots withwater and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil,heplaced potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second pot, and ground coffeebeansin the third pot. He then let them sit and boil, without saying a word tohis daughter. The daughter moaned and impatiently waited, wondering whathewas doing.After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes outofthe pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed themin a bowl. He then ladled the coffee out and placed it in a cup.Turning to her he asked. "Daughter, what do you see?""Potatoes, eggs, and coffee," she hastily replied."Look closer", he said, "and touch the potatoes." She did and noted thatthey were soft.He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off theshell,she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip thecoffee.Its rich aroma brought a smile to her face."Father, what does this mean?" she asked.He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs and coffee beans had eachfaced the same adversity -- the boiling water. However, each one reacteddifferently. The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting, but inboiling water, it became soft and weak.The egg was fragile, with the thin outer shell protecting its liquidinterior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of theeggbecame hard.However, the ground coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed tothe boiling water, they changed the water and created something new."Which are you," he asked his daughter. "When adversity knocks on yourdoor,how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?"In life, things happen around us, things happen to us, but the only thingthat truly matters is what happens within us.--Unknown Author