food for thought

this is something a friend of mine found and posted, so i'm recirculating the oh-so-true message :)

You will never look at a cup of coffee the same way again.
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 hard boiled 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?"
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 on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart? Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are Their greatest, do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?
May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human and enough hope to make you happy.
The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything that comes along their way. The brightest future will always be based on a forgotten past; you can't go forward in life until you let go of your past failures and heartaches.
When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying.

May we all be COFFEE.

it took a while

The way I've been acting lately has been very uncharacteristic. I've never responded to negativity with weakness. I'm back on track though, after a reasonable discussion with mama bear and getting things off my chest to go-to guy... I really do get it. I feel like I can look back at what I did that seemed crazy and accept them as attempts to keep a friendship. Maybe I acted differently just because I really did want to keep that... and I've never felt so drawn to do so for anyone else. Every time we've talked lately we've been on different pages, different chapters even, of the book. My suggestion of hanging out was his interpretation of wanting to seduce him, and everything I said just "pointed" to that somehow. My genuine concern and burden for him was just infatuation to him. Infatuation because he has a magic stick... of course. It surprised me to hear that the one who is quick to point out a "golden pussy" syndrome has the same characteristics of a virile version of the same. These are not short-comings, only a confirmation of the impaired judgment of our civilized race. We see what we choose. We know what we choose. I don't hold strong to the concept that people will realize when they misjudge a scenario, and make amends. That is only true in the fantasy world of movies and lyrics, because real people are stubborn. I am, of course, part of this breed. This makes me completely subject to all my previous criticisms. I will say I wish I would strive harder to be the woman of proverbs 31. Here is a short list of my missing characteristics to become so: pious, pure, loyal, kind, selfless, strong, patient, cheerful, wise, dignified, resourceful, discreet, trust-worthy, diligent, and takes care of her family. She actually sounds pretty amazing. Maybe I should take my own advice, instead of accepting the defeat of never achieving such an amazing standard: "Perfection exists, but is often unattainable. Strive for greatness, and you may even exceed perfection."