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 walk 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 wonderful 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 2 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, have a great day and remember to
smell the flowers on your side of the path!
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