An elderly Chinese woman carries two pots on a pole across her neck to transport water - one pot has a crack while the other is perfect. For two years, the cracked pot arrives home with only half its water while the perfect pot delivers a full portion. Feeling ashamed of its flaw, the cracked pot complains but the woman reveals she planted flowers along the path that the cracked pot waters each day, allowing her to decorate her table with beautiful flowers. The story teaches that our flaws make lives interesting and rewarding, and to appreciate people for who they are.

1. Here’s some goodHere’s some good
old Chineseold Chinese
wisdom!wisdom!
Do not click.Do not click.
Put on the soundPut on the sound

2. An elderlyAn elderly
Chinese womanChinese woman
had two largehad two large
pots, each hungpots, each hung
on the ends ofon the ends of
a pole, whicha pole, which
she carriedshe carried
across heracross her
neck.neck.

3. One of the potsOne of the pots
had a crack in ithad a crack in it
while the otherwhile the other
pot was perfectpot was perfect
and alwaysand always
delivered a fulldelivered a full
portion ofportion of
water.water.

4. At the end ofAt the end of
the long walkthe long walk
from thefrom the
stream to thestream to the
house, thehouse, the
cracked potcracked pot
arrived onlyarrived only
half full.half full.

5. For a full twoFor a full two
years this wentyears this went
on daily, with theon daily, with the
woman bringingwoman bringing
home only onehome only one
and a half potsand a half pots
of water.of water.

6. Of course, theOf course, the
perfect pot wasperfect pot was
proud of itsproud of its
accomplishmentsaccomplishments

7. But the poorBut the poor
cracked potcracked pot
was ashamedwas ashamed
of its ownof its own
imperfection,imperfection,
and miserableand miserable
that it couldthat it could
only do half ofonly do half of
what it hadwhat it had
been made tobeen made to
do.do.

8. After 2 yearsAfter 2 years
of what itof what it
perceived toperceived to
be bitterbe bitter
failure, itfailure, it
spoke to thespoke to the
woman one daywoman one day
by theby the
stream.stream.

9. ““I am ashamedI am ashamed
of myself,of myself,
because thisbecause this
crack in mycrack in my
side causesside causes
water towater to
leak out allleak out all
the way backthe way back
to yourto your
house.”house.”

10. The old womanThe old woman
smiled, “Did yousmiled, “Did you
notice thatnotice that
there arethere are
flowers on yourflowers on your
side of theside of the
path, but not onpath, but not on
the other pot’sthe other pot’s
side?side?

11. That’s because IThat’s because I
have alwayshave always
known about yourknown about your
flaw, so I plantedflaw, so I planted
flower seeds onflower seeds on
your side of theyour side of the
path, and everypath, and every
day while weday while we
walk back, youwalk back, you
water them.”water them.”

12. ““For two years I have beenFor two years I have been
able to pick these beautifulable to pick these beautiful
flowers to decorate theflowers to decorate the
table.”table.”

13. Without you being just the wayWithout you being just the way
you are, there would not beyou are, there would not be
this beauty to grace thethis beauty to grace the
house.”house.”

14. Each of us has his own uniqueEach of us has his own unique
flaw…flaw…

15. But it’s the cracks and flaws weBut it’s the cracks and flaws we
each have that make our liveseach have that make our lives
together so very interesting andtogether so very interesting and
rewarding.rewarding.

16. You’ve just got to take eachYou’ve just got to take each
person for what they areperson for what they are
and look for the good inand look for the good in
them.them.

17. To all of my crackpot friends, have aTo all of my crackpot friends, have a
great day and remember to smell thegreat day and remember to smell the
flowers, on your side of the path.flowers, on your side of the path.