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 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 he expressed
his feeling to the water bearer.
He replied by saying, "Did you notice that flowers were 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."
The moral of this story is that we all have out faults, but we all
have a path to follow and that path we make must have a reason to our
being.
Author Unknown