THE WATER BEARER AND HIS POTS


In a dynasty long ago, a Chinese water bearer had two large pots. Each hung on the ends of a pole which he carried across his neck. One pot was perfect in every way, and always delivered a full portion of water. The other had a crack in it.

At the end of each long walk from the stream to the bearer's house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For many years the bearer made his early morning journey to the stream and home, delivering only one and a half pots of water to his household.

The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, for it delivered a full portion of water with every trip. But the cracked pot felt ashamed of its imperfection, and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been created to do.

After years of feeling what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one morning by the stream.

"I am so ashamed of myself. Because of this crack in my side, water leaks out of me all the way back to your house and I cannot deliver the water as you hoped."

The bearer said to the pot, "Have you noticed that there are flowers growing near the path, on the side on which I carry you? Because I have always known about your imperfection, I planted seeds on your side of the path. Every day as we walk from the stream to my house, you have watered them. For all these years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my table. If you were not as you are, there would not be this beauty to grace my house."

We are all imperfect, but it's our flaws that make us what we are. One only has to see others for what they are to see how important they are to each of us.

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