Cracked Pot

An elderly Chinese Woman had two 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 women bringing home only one and 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 women one day by the stream.

“I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in m 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 pots 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”.

Each of us has his own unique flaw…

But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.

You have just got to take each person for what they are and look for good in them.