An elderly Chinese woman carries two large pots on a pole across her neck to collect water from a stream every day. One pot has a crack and only arrives home half full, while the other pot is perfect and always full. After two years, the cracked pot expresses shame to the woman for only being able to complete half its task. However, the woman reveals that she planted flowers along the path of the cracked pot, which it has watered each day on the long walk home. The moral is that our flaws allow for beauty and make life more interesting.

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
accomplishments.accomplishments.

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 our own uniqueEach of us has our 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 each personYou’ve just got to take each person
for what they are and look forfor what they are and look for
the good in them.the good in them.

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

18. Take the time to send thisTake the time to send this
messagemessage
to all your friends Who have ato all your friends Who have a
crackedcracked
side…side…
And God knows how manyAnd God knows how many
we are!!!we are!!!