THE CRACKED POT

A water-bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a
pole which he carried across his 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 bearer delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his
house. 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 was able to accomplish only half of what it had been
made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be 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 of my load
because this crack in my side causes water to leak all the way back to
your house . Because of my flaws, you have to do all this work, and you
don’t get full value for 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 other pot’s side ? That’s because I
have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds your
side of the path, and every day while we walk back you have watered
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.”

Moral : Each of us has his own unique flaws. We’re all cracked pots but
it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so
very interesting and rewarding. You’ve have just got to take each person for
what he is, and look for the good in him.

Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.