| 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. There is a lot of good in
us! 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....
Thank
you for being my crackpot friends! =)
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