Fill your jar of life with the important things—your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions—and if everything else is lost and only they remain—your life is still full…
So, remember that I told you we were spending the Easter weekend with my sister, Joy, and my brother-in-law, Mike, in Athens, Georgia, right? Well we did and the weekend was simply…perfect. We could not have designed a happier time for all of us. But, before I tell you about the weekend, let me ask you if you think a jar can teach you something about life. Some of you have probably heard the story about the professor, a mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee. It’s a great story and worth repeating. It really does help you put things into perspective. The origin of the story is unknown, and different variations of it exists online. The story is often attributed it to writer Mary Lynn Plaisance, but as it turns out, she is not the author.
When things are very hectic, when things in your lives seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and the two cups of coffee.
Here is the story in its entirety:
A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him. When the class began, he wordlessly picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls. He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.
The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls. He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.
The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “yes.”
The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.
“Now,” said the professor as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things — your family, your children, your health, your friends and your favorite passions — and if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house and your car. The sand is everything else — the small stuff.
“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff you will never have room for the things that are important to you.
“Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Play with your children. Take time to get medical checkups. Take your spouse out to dinner. Play another 18. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal. Take care of the golf balls first — the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”
One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.
The professor smiled. “I’m glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”
Fill your jar with the important things—the rest is just sand. Powerful stuff.
I had read this about 8 years ago. It’s come back to me several times over the years…I think I want to remember it. It is a great reminder for me when life gets a little too fast.
The story of the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee has never been more prevalent in my mind than this Easter weekend. When my family in Alabama visits my sister in Georgia, we try to take something fun to eat—something portable, something to take out onto the porch and just have a good time eating. So, I decided to make strawberry cheesecake in a jar. I also made and took blueberry cheesecake in a jar. It’s a fun, easy-to-transport, and delicious dessert for any occasion. I had fun making them. I made six of each flavor (strawberry and blueberry) and hung one of my horse head charms on the jars. Everybody loved them.
The whole time I was making them, I was thinking about the story of the mayonnaise jar and the two cups of coffee. And I kept asking myself, “Am I putting the important things—the golf balls into my jar of life, or do I let sand in because I’m focused too much on the small stuff sometimes?” I had to be honest…Sometimes I let sand in. But, I’m not anymore. All the worrying and sweating over the small stuff has to go…
So, back to the weekend…but, I can’t leave out the mayonnaise jar and the two cups of coffee. Because, the family time, the bonding, the laughter, the friendship, the gratitude…all those things are the golf balls in my jar of life. While we were sitting in the dining room/kitchen at Joy’s and Mike’s, eating cheesecake in a jar, I took a look around, took a few deep breaths and thanked God.
We have our family.
We have our health. Some of us have aches and pains, but, for the most part, we are healthy.
We have our friends. We are all the best of friends with each other.
We have our favorite passions. Y’all know what mine passion is, right? I like horses a little bit. 😉 And, of course, my family has their own passions. Don’t ever let go of doing the things you love.
I thank God my jar has the golf balls in it. And I’m going to work even harder to make sure that I don’t focus too much on the small stuff and let sand in.
Remember, if you focus on the important things, you can always fit in a couple of cups of coffee! And, every now and then, you can even put in a little cheesecake! 😉
Blessings to you!
Charity & The Horse Mafia
Recipe for Cheesecake in a Jar
~ serves 6 ~
for the graham cracker crust layer:
1 heaping cup of graham cracker crumbs
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup melted butter
Combine all of the graham cracker crust ingredients and “tamp” about 3 Tablespoons into each of 6 half-pint canning jars.
for the cheesecake layer:
8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon or orange zest
Place all of the cheesecake ingredients in the bowl of a counter top mixer. Whip until smooth and fluffy. Divide evenly among the 6 (half pint) jars… on top of the graham cracker crust layer.
for the strawberry (or blueberry) layer:
1 (20 oz.) can blueberry pie filling
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
Mix fruit filling with extract and divide evenly among the 6 jars. Place lids on jars and refrigerate until ready to eat.
Add a dollop of whipped cream to the tops of the jars and sprinkle with a little nutmeg if desired.
You’ll love this great, portable dessert!
Enjoy!
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