KINABUKASAN SOCIETY

Towards Unity and Service

The Cracked Water Pot


A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each end
of a pole which he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in
it, and 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
master's  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 full of water in his master's house.
Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect to
the end 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 two years of what it perceived to be a bitter failure, it
spoke to the water bearer one day by the stream. "I am ashamed of myself,
and I want to apologize to you." Why?" asked the bearer. "What are you
ashamed of?"  "I have been able, for these past two years, to deliver only
half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all
the way back to your master's house. Because of my flaws, you have to do
all of this work, and you don't get full value from your efforts," the pot
said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in his
compassion he said, "As we return to the master's house, I want you to
notice the beautiful flowers along the path." Indeed, as they went up the
hill, the old cracked pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful
wild flowers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some.
But at the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had
leaked out half its load, and so again it apologized to the bearer for its
failure. The bearer said to the pot, "Did you notice that there were
flowers only on your side of your path, but not on the other pot's side?
That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I took advantage
of it. I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day
while we walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two years I
have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate my master's
table. Without you being just the way you are, he would not have this
beauty to grace his house."

  Moral: Each of us has our own unique flaws.We're all cracked
pots. 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 people
for what they are,   and look for the good in them. There is a lot of
good out there. There is a lot of good in us! Blessed are the flexible,
for they shall not be bent out of shape.

Remember to appreciate all the different people in your life. Or
as we like to think of it-if it hadn't been for the crackpots in our
lives, it would have been pretty boring and not so interesting...

Thank you all our crackpot friends.

Contributed by Fr. Jesus Emmanuel (Chulie) G. Obias

if you have something to share, please click here