| To My Crackpot Friends by Thom Gruber |
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 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 my 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 crackpot friends, thank you for watering the flowers in my life.
God Bless!
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 my 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 crackpot friends, thank you for watering the flowers in my life.
God Bless!