Cracked Pot

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 you my cracked pot friend, have a great day and 

remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!