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 crackpot friends, have a great day and remember
to smell the flowers on your side of the path!
The Moral to the story...IMHO...is that each of us has unique
gifts...and those same gifts can also appear as flaws. Yet, even
flaws when understood, accepted and appreciated for the gift they
contain can benefit the community. Be a gift to others
today.
