posted January 25, 2007 02:20 AM         

A Useful Perspective

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 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.

posted January 25, 2007 10:30 AM         

------------------
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark, and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

posted January 26, 2007 06:36 PM         

I often feel like a pot with a crack in it.