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.
- Author unknown
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