Cracked Pot Friends

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!