School Days

A water bearer in China had two large pots, each hung on the
ends of a pole which he carried across his 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 bearer
delivering only one and a half pots full of water to his house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments,
perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was
ashamed of it's 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. I have been able to
deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes
water to leak out all the way back to your 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 bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were
flowers only 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've watered 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 the 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. You've just got
to take each person for what they are, and look for the good in
them. Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out
of shape.
Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life.