Chinese Proverb

 A water bearer
                           in China had two large pots 

Which each hung on the ends of a pole

that he carried across his neck.

One of the pots
                           had a crack in it

 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 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 of water to his house.

 Of course, the perfect pot was
                           proud

of its accomplishments, 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 2 years of what perceived to be bitter failure, 

It spoke to the
                           water bearer one day by the stream.

  "I am ashamed of myself,

because this
                           crack in my side causes the water 

to leak out all the way back to your house."

                 
                           The bearer said to the pot, "Did you

notice that there are flowers on

your side of the path, but not on
                           the

other pot's side?  That's

because I have  always known about your flaw, 

so I planted flower seeds on

your side of the path, and every
                           day while we walk

back, you water them.

For two years I

have been able to pick these

beautiful flowers
                           to decorate the table.

 Without you being just the way you

are, there would not be this beauty

 grace the house."

Each of us has our own unique flaw.

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 each person for what

they are and look for the good in them.

 To all of my crackpot friends,
                           have

a great day and remember to smell the flowers.