The Cracked Pot

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The 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? " " For these past two

years I have only able to deliver only half my load because this crack in

my side 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,

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 all my crackpot friends.