from Kevin's friend who's been

from Kevin’s friend who’s been studying with the Dalai Lama the past few weeks:

THE CRACKED WATER POT

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each hung on each 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 master’s 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 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 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 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 the 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 two 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.

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 us!

Blessed are the flexible, for they shall not be bent out of shape.