The world felt like it was crumbling around her. She had just discovered her husband’s betrayal, and the pain was unbearable. With tears streaming down her face, she showed up at her grandmother’s doorstep, desperate for comfort.
“I can’t do this anymore, Grandma,” she whispered. “Everything keeps falling apart. Just when I think I’ve handled one problem, something worse comes along.”
Her grandmother wiped away her tears and led her into the kitchen without a word. She filled three pots with water and placed them on the stove. In the first, she dropped carrots. In the second, eggs. And in the third, coffee grounds.
They waited in silence as the water boiled. When the timer went off, her grandmother strained each pot and placed the contents into separate bowls.
“Tell me what you see,” Grandma said.
“Carrots, eggs, and coffee,” the granddaughter replied, confused.
“Touch the carrots,” Grandma instructed. “Now crack open the egg. Finally, taste the coffee.”
The carrots had gone soft. The egg, once fragile, now had a firm interior. And the coffee? It had transformed the water entirely, filling the room with its rich aroma.
“Life’s hardships are like boiling water,” Grandma explained. “They change us—but the question is, how? Do you become weak like the carrot? Hardened like the egg? Or do you change your circumstances, like the coffee?”
The granddaughter sat quietly, letting the lesson sink in.
“Which one are you?” Grandma asked gently.
That night, she left her grandmother’s house with a new perspective. The pain hadn’t disappeared, but she knew now—she could choose how it shaped her.
