Cracked Pots

[W.B. Carss]

Cracked Pots

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. There is a lot of good out there. There is a lot
of good in us too!

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 we like
to think of it, if it hadn't been for the crackpots in our lives, it would
have been pretty boring and not nearly so interesting.

So here's thanking you -- all of my crackpot friends.


W.B. Carss
bill at braille.uwo.ca