Appreciate all the people in your life! (shared by Priya Deelchand)

This life lesson was shared by my friend Priya Deelchand in the group Happiness Is Your Birthright!

Hello my dearest friends,

Today, I would like to share with you a wonderful story which was sent to me a few years ago.

Here is the story:

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each

end of a pole which he carried across hls 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 2 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 2 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 tile 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 2 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.

Some of us don't grow old gracefully, some are not so smart,

some are tall, large & big, some bald, some physically challenged,

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. There is a lot of good out there. There is

a lot of good in you, my dear friend!

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 I like to think of it - If it's not for the crackpots in my

life, it would be pretty boring.

Thank you for being my crackpot friend!! :)

Much love,

Your crackpot friend,

Priya:-)