Columbus Day:
For some people Columbus Day is a day off of work. For other people Columbus Day is an in-service day at school. And yet for others Columbus Day is a typical day. This year Columbus Day is Chemo round 7 for me. It is my third Taxol round. The infusion is not that difficult. I am pretty use to the routine. The needle stab is the worse part and that is only a few seconds. The part that really hurts is the days that follow.
I recently received this little story.
A young woman went to her mother and told her
about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did
not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up,
She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one
problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled
three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon
the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in
the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed
ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the
burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a
bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you
see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to
feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The
mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.
After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the
coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects
had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted
differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and
unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling
water, it softened and became weak. 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 had
changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter.
'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did
not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up,
She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one
problem was solved, a new one arose.
Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled
three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon
the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in
the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed
ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.
In about twenty minutes she turned off the
burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a
bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl.
Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.
Turning to her daughter, she asked, ' Tell me what you
see.' 'Carrots, eggs, and coffee,' she replied.
Her mother brought her closer and asked her to
feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The
mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it.
After pulling off the shell, she observed the hardboiled egg.
Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the
coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.
The daughter then asked, 'What does it mean, mother?'
Her mother explained that each of these objects
had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted
differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and
unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling
water, it softened and became weak. 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 had
changed the water.
'Which are you?' she asked her daughter.
'When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?
Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
Thanks Erica for this little story. It helps put things back into perspective for me. Tomorrow when I walk into my Chemo appointment, I will make sure that I walk into that appointment as “beans” and leave the office as “coffee.” Back to Columbus Day….I am very thankful that the banks are closed. This allows Stephen to be able to go with me to Chemo. Of course I will miss Lindsey and her Back Street Boys. She has been great making sure I am ok during infusion and keeping me laughing. Don’t worry Lindsey, I have some chick flicks packed for Stephen to watch with me.
Real Men Wear Pink!
1492 Columbus sailed the Ocean…..
Bring on the coffee (and the eggs). :)
ReplyDeleteMmmmmm... will you be a Dunkin Donuts kind of coffee???
ReplyDeleteHugs and love.... let me know how it goes tomorrow!!
xoxo
PS... LOVE the picture!