Once upon a time, an elderly Chinese woman had two large pots. Each pot hung on the end of a pole which she carried across her shoulders. One of the pots was perfect while the other had a deep crack in it. At the end of the walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. It continued daily for two years. The perfect pot was proud of its accomplishment. But the cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection.
One day, the pot spoke to the woman, “I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out.” The old woman smiled and said, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path and not on the other side? I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day you water them. With these beautiful flowers, I decorate my table.”
