Two Pots
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 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!