Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Cracked Pots


A friend of my mom's sent this to her. I like it:

An elderly 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 walks 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 two 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 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.

SO, to all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

~~~

xoabb
expect anything!


Photo: Tree peony, Columbia, MO, 4/22/10; 3:47pm

13 comments:

  1. Thank you. From a cracked pot.

    WV: hydeity I am a hydeity.

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  2. I love it! And you can be sure that I'm definitely one of your cracked pot friends! Hope you have a great week! And thanks for the very big smile!

    Sylvia

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  3. I heard this tale from a friend at work, many years ago, and it is still as true as ever. We never know how our oddities, or idiosynchracies, fit in the great jigsaw puzzle that is life, but they may be the one piece needed to complete the picture!

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  4. This is a great story...and I don't mind being called a "cracked pot." But only by you my friend!

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  5. I love all my crack pot friends ..

    WV nundle ..that's a group of nuns .. a new collective noun

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  6. Thank goodness we're all Crack Pots!
    Great story, Annie!

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  7. Thanks for sharing such a lovely story. Yes, we are all cracked pots...but nurture everyday.

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  8. So needed that. Thanks so much. So true. We have to give something of ourselves away without looking back.

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  9. A wabi sabi story! I've grown accustomed to being a cracked pot!

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  10. I've read that before and love it...the photo is wonderful, too!

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Thank you for taking the time to leave a thought. It's appreciated! xoabb