Cracked Pot
Cracked Pot
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end of a
pole
which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it,
and
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 master's 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 in
his
master's house. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its
accomplishments,
perfect
to the end for which it was made. 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."
Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you ashamed of?"
"I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only half my
load
because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back
to
your master's 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 water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his
compassion
he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to notice the
beautiful flowers along the path."
Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked pot took notice of
the sun
warming the beautiful wild flowers on the side of the path, and this
cheered
it some. But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had
leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for
its
failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were
flowers
only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side? That's
because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage of
it. I
planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we
walk
back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I have been
able to
pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's table. Without you
being just the way you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his
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 so very
interesting and rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what
they
are, and look for the good in them. There is a lot of good out there.
Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.
Remember
to appreciate all the different people in your life! Or as I like to
think
of it--if it hadn't been for the crackpots in my life, it would have
been
pretty boring and not so interesting...
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