A Parable on Cracked Pots

I received this story in an email from a good friend many years ago. Today I was informed he had passed away. I knew he'd been dealing with illness these past few years. Although we hadn't seen each other in some time I've kept him in my prayers. Today I post this story in memory of my good friend Marty. We were very close in spirit and knew without needing to voice it, that we were cut from a similar mold.

Be Well Marty!

TWO LARGE POTS   

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, which 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 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 two 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 and said; "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  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 your 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."

SO, to all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Best wishes from another Cracked Pot

 

Be Well 

Marty