Stop and smell the flowers

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 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.

So, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and quit
looking at 'perfect' pots with envy, you are what you are, so be the best
you can be and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!