Cracks
and Flaws
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.
