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…