The Cracked Pot (an old but true story)

The Broken Pot
A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on an end of a
pole which he carried across his 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 masters 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 full of water in his
masters 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 two 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 masters 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 masters 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 the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out half its load, and so again
the Pot 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 pots 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 two years I have been able to
pick these beautiful
flowers to decorate my masters table. Without you being just the
way you are, he would not
have this beauty to grace his house."