We all need good advice now and then. And many of us turn to our grandparents for comfort when trying to weather one of life’s storms. In this parable, widely shared on the Internet, a grandmother offers some simple wisdom to her granddaughter.

The author of this piece appears to be unknown, but their wise words have a universal truth that everyone can appreciate.

As the story begins, a young woman goes to visit her grandmother. She is stressed out by how her life is going and needs help. Her grandmother responds by bringing out a carrot, eggs, and coffee…

“A young woman went to her grandmother 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 that as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her grandmother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to a 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 then 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 granddaughter, she asked, ‘Tell me, what do you see?’ ‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.”

“She brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. She then asked her to take an egg and break it.

After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, she asked her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma.

The granddaughter then asked, “What does it mean, Grandmother?” Her grandmother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity — boiling water — but each reacted differently.