Be the Tea! and Support Breast Cancer Research

Be the Tea: A Parable about Adversity

A young woman is struggling through a difficult time in her life, and she seeks her mother’s advice. The mother leads her daughter to the kitchen, where she has placed three pots on the stove. After each has simmered a while, the mother asks her daughter to lift the lid of each of the pots, and tell her what she sees.

The daughter lifts each lid, one at a time, and then replies, “I see eggs, carrots, and a bag of tea leaves. Each is boiling in hot water.”

The mother nods, and asks her to look more closely. “What happens to an egg in boiling water?”

“It was fragile, but then it becomes hard,” the daughter replies.

“And what happens to carrots?” asks the mother.

“They begin hard, but in the water, they become soft and lose color,” replies the daughter.

“And what about the tea leaves?” asks the mother. “The tea leaves turn the boiling water into tea,” replies the daughter.

“Yes,” says the mother. “Remember. When in boiling water, the egg grows hard, and the carrots grow soft. But the tea? The tea changes the water it is in. When you find yourself in hot water, when you face challenges and adversity, strive to be the tea.”

This parable more commonly features carrots, eggs, and coffee, but as a tea drinker, I much prefer it with tea! Whatever you like in your morning mug, the message is the same: when you find yourself in challenging circumstances, instead of letting them harden what is fragile, or weaken what is strong, use them to transform not only yourself but the world around you for the better. Be the tea!
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My name is Sandee McGlaun, and I was diagnosed in June 2016 with breast cancer. I’ve completed chemotherapy and will have a bilateral mastectomy in December, followed in January by radiation. In the course of my journey I have met many cancer patients and survivors who have inspired me with their courage and strength. I’ve created a t-shirt to honor them and their caregivers, and to encourage all of us who face adversity to rise to the challenge set forth in the parable above.

If you'd like to know more about me or my story, please visit my website http://www.stilllifewithcancer.com.