The Cracked Pot

A recent email forwarded to me had this sweet story:

An elderly Indian woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her 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 walks from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water. Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do.

After two years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream, "I am ashamed of myself because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

The old woman smiled, "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 to 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.
SO, to all of my cracked pot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Hopefully I just look young!

I called a dear friend today in my car on the way to Target. I didn't really want to go in the store while I was speaking with her, and my car was too hot to sit in while I talked, so I sat outside the store on a bench and talked with her.

While I was talking with her, a group of kids (10 or so) walked into Target just as I laughed at a story she was telling me. One of the boys in the group mocked my laughter and I looked up at the kids as they walked in. One of the girls that was in the group said "don't mind him, he doesn't know what he's saying" and I must have been glaring at them because then she says "and don't roll your eyes at me."

Wow - I am at least 15 years older than this group of kids, since when is it okay to mock an adult and then tell them not to roll your eyes at them? Seriously! Maybe being rude to your peers is acceptable, but it seems many of this younger group no longer have respect for adults. I didn't say anything to them, mainly because I was one the phone and couldn't think of anything to come back with that wasn't as rude as what they had done. Weird - I'm hoping that it's just because I look like I'm not much older than they are...but I doubt it as I'm fairly certain I look exactly as old as I am!

I'm going to have to start walking around teaching kids manners. Hmmmm.....where to start!?