The Two Large Clay Pots

 
A man had two large pots that he used to carry water from the stream back to his house along a narrow path. Each hung on one end of a pole that he carried across his shoulders. One of the pots was perfectly made and never leaked. But the other pot had a crack in it. By the time the man would walk from the stream back to the house, the cracked pot would have leaked half its water onto the ground.
This went on day after day. The man would carry the two pots to the stream and fill them both. On the way home, the cracked pot would lose half its water while the other pot remained full.
The cracked pot was ashamed of its crack. Because of its imperfection, it thought, it was only able to do half of what the man needed it to do. It longed to be like the perfect pot. After a long time, the cracked pot spoke to the man one day as he drew water from the stream.
“I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you,” the pot said.
“What do you have to be ashamed of?” the man responded.
“Because of this crack,” the pot replied, “half my water leaks out on the way back to the house. You would be better off if I had no flaw. I’m ashamed that I haven’t been able to serve you well because of my crack.”
The man looked kindly at the cracked pot and said, “My dear old pot, you haven’t failed me. While we walk back to the house today, I want you to look at all of the beautiful flowers along the path.” And sure enough, as they walked home the pot opened its eyes and noticed for the first time the beautiful array of flowers that decorated the journey home.
When they reached the house, the man said to the pot, “Did you notice that the flowers were growing only on one side of the path? They grow only on the side where I carry you, but not on the other pot’s side. You see, I knew about your crack, and so I planted flowers all along your side of the path. While we are walking back from the stream, you aren’t losing water—you are making the flowers grow!
Now everyone who walks along the path looks at the flowers and thinks about how beautiful they are. You bring joy to every single person who walks down the path! What you perceive as a flaw is the very thing that gives life to the flowers and brings beauty into the world!”