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 walk 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 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 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the
woman one day by the stream. "I am 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 have always known
about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and
every day while we walk back, you water them. For two years I have been
able to pick these beautiful flowers to 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 flaw. 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.
To all my crackpot friends and family - have a great day and remember to smell the
flowers on your side of the path.
