To all my crackpot friends

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
of water to his house.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its
accomplishments, 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 2 years of what was perceived to be
bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer 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 bearer said to the pot, "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 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.

To all of my crackpot friends, have a great
day and remember to smell the flowers.