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 so 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 crackpot
friends and family, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!