An elderly Chinese woman had two
large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.
One of the pots had a crack in
it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered
a full portion of water.
At the end of the long walks from
the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half
full.
For a full two years this went
on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half
pots of water..
Of course, the perfect pot was
proud of its accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed
of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only
do half of what it had been made to do.
After two years of what it perceived
to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the
stream.
'I am ashamed of myself, because
this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way
back to your house.'
The old woman smiled, 'Did you
notice that there are flowers on your side of the path,
but not on the other pot's side?'
'That's because I have always
known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your
side of the
path, and every day while we walk
back, you water them.'
For two years I have been able
to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table.
Without you being just the way
you are, there would not be this beauty to
grace the house.'
Each of us has our own unique
flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we each have that make
our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.
You've just got to take each person
for what they are and look for the good in them.
SO, to all of my cracked pot friends,
have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your
side of the path!