A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.
When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.
Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, we choose the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have.
This month marks one year since I learned that I was pregnant with our fourth child. A child that wasn't planned by us, however I knew he was destined for our family to love. I remember having feeling of such inadequacy. I had never felt that way before so it was new and scary. I remember making several comments to people such as; "I feel like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar". I felt different. Something about Matthews pregnancy felt different. It wasn't until 22 weeks later did I truly find out how special and different Matthew was and is. Matthew is my Hot Chocolate. How I prayed and morned for the perfect baby. My heart broke as I worried about not finding love in my heart for a baby with a birth defect. I worried about this child's future and during the last 12 weeks I wondered if he'd have a future.
Just over a week ago my husband and I took our baby into the hospital and he had his first surgery. I am so in love with this little baby and it broke my heart to know that we were about to forever change his beautiful smile. A smile that was given to him for a reason I can't quite understand. I almost felt like I was betraying him in some weird way. After four long hours we met Matthew up in his room and I was blown away. He was so different and then it hit...I began to mourn all over again. I cried as I remembered the very first time I saw him and as I did in the very beginning of his life I held him in my arms and told him it was okay. Giving him permission to cry also gave me permission to cry. I loved my "plain cheep cup" and I will forever miss it. I now have this beautiful, fine, and exquisite cup in my hand and for the moment all is well.
3 comments:
Amanda that is beautiful, it moved me to tears. I guess all too often we forget just how lucky we are and we want more of everything. This Christmas I will try harder to enjoy my cup of hot chocolate, regardless of the cup it comes in.
Such a beautiful post. i needed that! People around me have gotten caught up in what their house looks like, paying no attention to the quality of family INSIDE the house. Dale and i have vowed to focus on the internal and forget what others thing about the size (or lack there of) and beauty of the external.
I love Matthew's new smile. i remember mourning the loss of Aiden's first smile and I still get choked up when I look back at the pictures taken before surgery. Keep hanging in there. Matthew and Aiden have taught us both so much in their short time here with us.
Wishing you and the entire family a blessed Christmas!
I felt the same way about my son's first surgery. I didn't want him to have it because then he wouldn't look like my little boy anymore. It's so good to hear that other people feel that same thing!
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