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 walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot
arrived only half full.
For 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 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 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.