Cherries? Life is just a jar of pickles

As I sat at home preparing a speech for an upcoming engagement, I found myself bored with my own words.
My speech had no pizazz, no profound insight to share with my listeners.
Then I found a pickle jar.
Excitedly, 5-year-old David and I ran around our back yard looking for big rocks to place into the jar.
Then we gathered up a bag full of white pebbles.
Finally, we filled another bag with small gray stones.
The analogy I planned to use with the rocks and the pickle jar was not an invention from my own mind. I had heard it years ago from another woman speaker. I did, however, have a creative ending that would add the pizzazz and insight I was hoping for.
"The large rocks represent the most important areas of your life," I shared with the women the night of my speech.
The rocks
"Faith" was the first rock into the pickle jar, as I talked of the importance of living a centered life.
"Spouse" was the second big rock I placed in the jar, followed by "Children" as I spoke at length about both.
The three big rocks in the pickle jar nearly reached the top. Yet, there was room for one more.
The last rock I called "Friends." It was a pretty rock that added color to the jar, just as friends add color to life.
The pickle jar looked full with the four big important rocks in it.
If only life were that simple.
I pulled out the bag of little white pebbles.
As I poured these rocks into the jar, they fell all around the big rocks.
"These rocks represent your work, all the committees you are involved in, social groups you attend, volunteer hours you spend," I said to the ladies.
Gray stones
The jar looked full to overflowing -- but I had one set of rocks left. I poured the little gray stones into the jar.
"These represent the time you spend sweeping, dusting, doing the dishes and the laundry ... and more laundry," I joked as I poured a large amount of stones into the jar.
The little gray stones filled every nook and cranny of the jar. Truly the pickle jar was full.
"This is your life," I said as I pointed to the jar. Then, I shared the analogy I had learned years ago about prioritizing your life, making sure you take time for the big rocks in your life and then fit the little rocks around them.
"If I had put the little rocks in first," I shared, "the big rocks would not have fit."
It is truly a wonderful visual analogy, and I was pleased that I had remembered it all these years. But I was not done with my pickle jar. The pizzazz was yet to come. ...
"Once you prioritize your life," I continued, "then what?"
Area of influence
Picking up the pickle jar, I stared at my audience. "This pickle jar represents your area of influence. You were put here on this earth for a purpose and a reason. That purpose and that reason are found in your pickle jar."
I believe many of the ladies thought I was a few pickles short in my jar.
"I will show you what I mean," I said with haste to redeem myself.
"Name the last five Nobel Peace Prize winners." The room was silent.
"Who were the last five Academy Award winners for best actress?" Quiet still.
"Oh, come on," I chided. "These are really important people!"
The ladies were stumped.
"I'll make it easier," I smiled. "Who were our last five state senators? The last five Athena Award winners? (Youngstown's Woman of the Year award.)
My audience said nothing.
"How about this," I said, smiling slyly at them all as I was about to make my point.
Hitting home
"Name the five best teachers you ever had." I could see their minds racing. "The five best role models ... the five most influential people in your life ..."
"You may not read about them in the paper or hear about them on television, but they were put here on earth to influence you. You were in their pickle jar."
Each one of us has a pickle jar full of people to influence.
gwhite@vindy.com