I'll Have The Soup...

I’m kind of a parable nerd.  That shouldn’t surprise anyone who knows me.  I just love a good story to address life’s challenges in a way that’s entertaining enough to make me want to remember it.  One of my favorites has always been Carrot, Egg, or Coffee.

You can read about it here but the gist of it is this:  a young woman is discussing her troubles with her mother.  Her mother takes her to the stove with three pots of water.  In one, she places a carrot, she places an egg in another, and in the third, she places coffee beans and sets them all to boil.  She tells her daughter that each of these items reacts differently when in hot water.  The carrot starts strong but becomes weak and soft.  The egg, once vulnerable and fragile, hardens.  The coffee beans, however, change the environment in which they’ve been placed.  They blend with the hot water and share their essence with it, releasing their flavor and aroma to create something pleasant.

In this scenario, I’ve always considered myself to be one of the coffee beans.  Maybe that’s just because I drink so much of the result of beans in hot water.  It felt comfortable to me.  Lately, I’m not so sure.  In this past year, there’s been plenty of hot water.  There’s been plenty of coffee in my cup and I appreciate that but I realize there’s yet another pot on the stove.

One of my other favorite parables is Stone Soup.  I’m sure you’ve heard many different versions of it but it’s a tale as old as time.  During a period of hardship – poverty and famine – when people were concerned about how they would sustain themselves and their loved ones.  Suddenly, a mysterious stranger arrives with a large pot of water.  The pot is put on the flame, and the stranger adds a stone and begins stirring the soup.

People gathered around to watch.  One by one, the townspeople came forward to add something to the pot.  One person had some cabbage to offer, another, a potato, some beef, perhaps some spices.   In the end, there was a wonderful soup.  Nourishing, full of flavor, and just what the community needed.

This has been a hard time.  For my family, for myself, for many people I love.  I just realized that while I’ve been pondering coffee beans, eggs, and carrots, I’ve also been standing over and stirring a full delicious pot of Stone Soup.

My townspeople continue to add to it.  Each ingredient brings its own unique flavor – some a bit salty, some very sweet, some healthy, some indulgent – but all provide nourishment and comfort.  What’s most amazing about this magic pot is that it never seems to empty.

I love that coffee, for sure.  I will continue to appreciate it.  When my townspeople gather to share their ingredients with me, I’ll offer them a cup.  When it comes time to feed my soul, I’ll have  a big bowl of Stone Soup, please.