A water bearer in a small village carried two large pots on a pole across his shoulders. Every morning he walked to the stream, filled them both, and carried them home.
One pot was perfect. It arrived full every time.
The other pot had a long crack down its side. By the time the water bearer reached the house, it was only half full.
For two years it went on like this. The perfect pot was proud of itself. The cracked pot was ashamed. It could only do half the job it was made for.
One day, at the stream, the cracked pot finally spoke.
"I am sorry," it said. "Because of my crack, you do all this work and only get half the water. I have let you down."
The water bearer smiled. "On the way home today," he said, "look at the side of the path."
So the pot looked. Along its side of the path, all the way home, wildflowers were growing. Yellow ones, blue ones, red ones, catching the morning sun. On the other side of the path, where the perfect pot was carried, there was only dry dirt.
"I always knew about your crack," the water bearer said. "So I planted seeds on your side. Every day you watered them without knowing it. For two years I have picked those flowers for our table. Without you being exactly who you are, this house would have no beauty in it."
What the cracked pot story teaches
Most of us know our cracks better than anyone. The thing we are embarrassed about. The part of us that leaks. We spend years apologizing for it.
- Your flaw might be doing work you cannot see. The sensitivity you hide may be the reason people trust you.
- Perfect is not the only kind of useful. The perfect pot carried water. The cracked pot grew a garden.
- Someone may already see you clearly. The water bearer was not disappointed. He had a plan for the crack all along.
The moral in one sentence
The cracks you are ashamed of are often where the good things in your life are growing.
Questions to sit with
- What is the "crack" you apologize for most?
- Who in your life has quietly benefited from it?
If you need more reminders like this one, our self-love quotes are a good place to stay a while.
