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 it’s accomplishments.
But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of it’s 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’m 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’ve always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path and everyday while we walk back, you water them.”
”For two years I’ve been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there wouldn’t be this grace and beauty in the house.”
We all have our own unique flaw, but it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding.
Take each person for what and who they are and look for the good in them.
The happiest of people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything that comes their way.
Have a wonderful day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path.
