THE CRACKED POT
~Unknown~
A water bearer in India had two large
pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried
across his shoulders. 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 bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of
water to his house.
Of course, the perfect pot was
perfect for the task for which it was made, and proud of
its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was
ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it
was able to accomplish only half of what it had been
made to do.
After two years of what it perceived
to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one
day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself, and I
want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver
only half my load because this crack in my side causes
water to leak out all the way back to your house.
Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work,
and you don't get full value from your efforts,"
the pot said.
The bearer said to the pot, "Did
you notice that there were flowers only on your side of
the path, but not on the other pot's side?" That's
because I have always known about your flaw, and I
planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every
day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two
years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers
to decorate the table. Without your being just the way
you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the
house.
Moral: Each of us has our own unique
flaws. We're all cracked pots. But it's the cracks and
flaws we each have that make our lives together
interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take
people for what they are, and look for the good in them.
Blessed are the flexible, for they
shall not be bent out of shape.
Remember to appreciate all the different people in your
life!
I'm so thankful for all my crackpot friends! |
