The crack pot

Many years ago in China, there lived a peasant.

  

Everyday he wold walk through the woods to fetch some water from the river. He had two large pots which he filled to the limit, each hung on the ends of the 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 walks from the river to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the farmer bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was satisfied 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 man one day by the river.

‘I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes the water to leak out all the way bach to your house.’

The old man 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, that is why I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and while returning you water them.’

Fur two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers and 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 flaws. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.